Tag Archives: China

     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Chai Wan Outline Zoning Plan (OZP). 
 
     “The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide development and redevelopment in the Chai Wan area,” a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (May 14).
 
     The planning scheme area, covering about 614 hectares, is located in the eastern part of Hong Kong Island and is generally bounded by Heng Fa Chuen to the north, Tai Tam Country Park to the west, Shek O Country Park to the south and the waterfront to the east.
 
     Chai Wan is predominately a residential area and also one of the major industrial areas on Hong Kong Island, with the provision of government, institution or community facilities and public open space.
 
     The approved OZP has incorporated amendments made to the draft Chai Wan OZP No. S/H20/24, which mainly rezoned a site at the junction of Sun Yip Street and Siu Sai Wan Road from “Government, Institution or Community” (“G/IC”) to “G/IC(4)”, and rezoned a site at Cheung Man Road from “Green Belt” and an area shown as “Road” to “Residential (Group A)”.
 
     Other zonings shown on the OZP include “Comprehensive Development Area”, “Industrial”, “Open Space”, “Other Specified Uses” (“OU”) annotated “Business”, “OU” annotated “Cargo Handling Area”, “OU” annotated “Cemetery”, “OU” annotated “Columbarium”, “OU” annotated “Mass Transit Railway Comprehensive Development Area”, “OU” annotated “Refuse Transfer Station”, “OU” annotated “Oil Depot”, “OU” annotated “Petrol Filling Station”, “OU” annotated “Public Filling Barging Point”, “Coastal Protection Area” and “Country Park”.
 
     The approved Chai Wan OZP No. S/H20/25 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Eastern District Office.
 
     Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Town Planning Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb). read more

     The Town Planning Board announced today (May 14) that the Chief Executive in Council has referred the approved Hung Hom Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) to the Board for amendment to reflect the latest land use proposals. &nbs… read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, May 14, 2021 is 100.8 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     The Labour Department (LD) today (May 14) reminded foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) to undergo COVID-19 testing again from tomorrow (May 15) to May 30, and encouraged FDHs to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect their own health and the health of their employers’ families and others.

     An LD spokesman said, “After risk assessment and taking into account that an FDH’s job entails taking care of the elderly and children, the Food and Health Bureau considered it more prudent to require FDHs to undergo compulsory testing for a second time in view of the earlier N501Y mutant strain cluster. As in the previous round of compulsory testing, FDHs who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for 14 days are exempted from undergoing the test.”
      
     The spokesman continued, “With the experience gained from the earlier compulsory testing, the compulsory testing period this time covers a total of 16 days, including three weekends, to assist FDHs to arrange time for undergoing the test. The Government will work with the operators to enhance the testing capacity of community testing centres (CTCs) and mobile specimen collection stations, particularly over the weekends. The LD has, through major employer groups, called on employers to arrange for FDHs to undergo testing at CTCs on weekdays as far as possible and make bookings in advance, to prevent FDHs from gathering and queuing for testing on Saturdays and Sundays.”
      
     The Food and Health Bureau issued a compulsory testing notice on May 12 and announced the details of CTCs and mobile specimen collection stations. Any relevant person who fails to comply with compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be fined a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person would also be issued with a compulsory testing order requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the order is an offence and the offender would be liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months. 
      
     The Government reminds FDHs to keep the SMS notification containing the test result for checking by law enforcement officers when the FDHs are required to provide information about them having taken the specified test. As for exempted FDHs, they can download their electronic vaccination records or save the printouts of their vaccination records on their mobile phones, or bring along the printouts or copies of their vaccination records, so as to prove their eligibility for exemption to law enforcement officers.
      
     The Government has all along been implementing anti-epidemic measures based on risk assessment. Compulsory testing arrangements equally apply to persons in other high-risk sectors or those who are in contact with a considerable number of high-risk persons during their work. For example, staff of residential care homes for the elderly, residential care homes for persons with disabilities and nursing homes have undergone 14 rounds of compulsory testing since December last year and are undergoing the 15th round of compulsory testing.
      
     In view of the threat posed by mutant strains, it is imperative for the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible. While there is still a shortage in the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines, the two vaccines procured by the Government are sufficient for all Hong Kong people (including FDHs) to get vaccinated. At present, there are still plenty of unutilised quotas every day in the 29 community vaccination centres and over 1 000 private clinics. The Government appeals to all FDHs to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect their own health and the health of their employers’ families and others.

     The Government thanks FDHs and employers for their understanding and co-operation with the anti-epidemic measures. read more

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations codenamed “Twilight” and “Rally” from May 11 to 13. A total of five suspected illegal workers and two suspected employers were arrested.
 
     During operations “Twilight” and “Rally”, ImmD Task Force officers raided 21 target locations including a construction site, a recycling yard, residential buildings, restaurants, a salon and a warehouse. Five suspected illegal workers and two employers were arrested. The suspected illegal workers comprised two men and three women, aged 33 to 71. Among them, a man and a woman were holders of recognisance forms, which prohibit them from taking any employment. In addition, a woman was suspected of using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card. Meanwhile, two men, aged 42 and 50, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.

     “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties,” an ImmD spokesman said.
 
     The spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment should be applied in such cases. It is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
 
     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
 
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments.