The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, met with the members of the legal sector at two briefing sessions today (March 31) to explain the improvement to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's (HKSAR) electoral system, enabling the stakeholders to have a better understanding of the matter and thereby render their support.

     The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress yesterday (March 30) passed the amended Annex I "Method for the Selection of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and Annex II "Method for the Formation of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Its Voting Procedures" to the Basic Law for improving the electoral system of the HKSAR. The amendments safeguarded the constitutional order as set out by the Constitution and the Basic Law while enhancing the governance efficacy of the HKSAR. As such, the "one country, two systems" principle will continue to be implemented steadfastly.

     In addition to giving its full support to the Government's work with a view to improving the electoral system as early as possible, the Department of Justice will provide explanations to the legal community on the importance, necessity and legality of improving the HKSAR's electoral system for gaining their staunch support.

    

     Hong Kong Customs seized about 54 kilograms of suspected cocaine and about 700 grams of suspected crack cocaine with an estimated market value of about $73 million in Sai Kung on March 29.

     During an anti-narcotics operation conducted in Sai Kung in the evening on that day, Customs officers intercepted a man and found a small quantity of suspected crack cocaine in his possession as well as about 2kg of suspected cocaine in two paper bags he was carrying. The 25-year-old man was then arrested.

     Customs officers then escorted the arrested man to a residential premises in the district. About 52kg of suspected cocaine and about 620g of suspected crack cocaine were found inside a safe. A small amount of suspected crack cocaine along with a batch of drug manufacturing and packaging paraphernalia were also found at other places in the premises. 

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).

  

     The Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 6) Notice 2020, an effort to strengthen protection of green turtles by expanding the restricted area at Sham Wan, Lamma Island, and extending the restricted period, will take effect from tomorrow (April 1). The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) reminds members of the public not to enter Sham Wan Restricted Area during the restricted period.
 
     To step up protection of breeding green turtles, the Sham Wan Restricted Area is expanded from the 0.5 hectare beach to the sea inlet adjoining the beach (about 98.2 hectares of waters) at Sham Wan (see Annex). The restricted period is also extended from five months (i.e. from June 1 to October 31) to seven months (i.e. from April 1 to October 31) each year.
 
     An AFCD spokesman said, "The green turtle is one of the species listed as 'Endangered' under the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species and protected by the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170) in Hong Kong. It is also the only sea turtle species that nests in Hong Kong. The sandy beach at Sham Wan on Lamma Island is the only site in Hong Kong and one of the few sites in the South China Sea at which green turtles nest from time to time. Green turtles are known to stay in waters adjacent to their natal beaches before and in between their nesting. During this period, breeding green turtles are particularly sensitive to human disturbance, which may frighten them and cause them to abandon nesting. These new measures help strengthen protection of endangered green turtles and their breeding ground. It can bring about a positive impact on the survival of green turtles in the long run."
 
     The spokesman appealed to members of the public not to enter the restricted area during the restricted period. Patrols will be conducted to prevent unauthorised entry and to monitor the nesting activities of green turtles. Unauthorised entry to the restricted area is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 upon conviction.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (March 31) that to achieve the target of making testing services available as far as possible for those who should be tested, it will continue to arrange free COVID-19 testing services for targeted groups, including high-exposure groups such as front-line staff of catering businesses, staff and personnel working in markets, licensed hawkers and practitioners of cold stores, to safeguard public health. The deadline for online registration for the scheme has been extended to April 30. People in high-exposure groups who have already registered and undergone testing may register again.
   
     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "To broaden surveillance at the community level, and incorporate disease prevention and infection control into the new normal of the daily operation of society, the Government has integrated and regularised the Targeted Group Testing Scheme (TGTS) as part of its sentinel surveillance. The TGTS has become part of the surveillance and early warning system. By facilitating contact tracing and epidemiological investigation, it is conducive to early identification, early isolation and early treatment, and can provide reference data for the overall assessment of the epidemic situation."

     Under the scheme, the testing agency (Prenetics Limited) will be responsible for the provision of one-stop services covering specimen taking and testing. For details of the testing programme, please call the hotline of the testing agency at 3008 8319 or visit the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/events/covid19_test/info_20200926.html).

     The FEHD strongly appeals to the groups concerned to actively participate in the testing scheme, and continue to comply with the directions made under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Requirements and Directions) (Business and Premises) Regulation (Cap. 599F), and to maintain personal and environmental hygiene continuously with a view to ensuring cleanliness of the premises and food safety.

The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:

     The Community Care Fund (CCF) will start accepting applications from four-or-more-person households for the second round of the One-off Living Subsidy for Low-income Households Not Living in Public Housing and Not Receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) programme (the 2021 Programme) from tomorrow (April 1).

     Beneficiaries should currently be renting accommodation on a monthly basis (or for longer tenures) in private housing, industrial buildings, commercial buildings or social housing operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs); renting bedspaces offered under the Home Affairs Department's Singleton Hostel Programme or bedspaces in hostels operated by NGOs for rehabilitated offenders; residing in temporary housing; living on board vessels; or homeless. Their monthly income must not exceed the specified limits. They should not be receiving CSSA or own any property in Hong Kong. For persons renting accommodation in private housing, industrial buildings, commercial buildings or social housing, their monthly rent should not exceed the specified rent limits. The income and rent limits for four-person households, five-person households and six-or-more-person households are as follows:
 

     
     Eligible households that benefited from the first round of the Programme (the 2020 Programme), which was launched during the period from July 2 to November 30, 2020 (i.e.  old applicant households), can benefit again, among those four-or-more-person households will receive notifications for confirming eligibility from the Secretariat starting from April. Old applicant households that still meet the eligibility criteria of the 2021 Programme should complete the reply slips with appendices (if appropriate) attached to the notifications and return completed slips to the service unit which assisted to process the applications of the households concerned under the 2020 Programme or the Secretariat to confirm eligibility on or before May 31. Upon verification of the eligibility, the Secretariat will send notifications of the eligibility verification results to the applicant households. The Secretariat will arrange to disburse the subsidy to eligible households according to their chosen methods under the 2020 Programme (i.e. either through bank transfer or by order cheque).

     If there are changes in the circumstances of old applicant households (such as there are new eligible members and/or changes of the specified applicants), they are still required to complete the reply slips and return them to the Secretariat. The Secretariat will forward these households' information to the relevant service units, which will contact the households to submit a specified application form (i.e. Form 1).

     New four-or-more-person applicant households should submit application forms (i.e. Form 2) together with copies of all the required documents to respective service units near their places of residence either in person or by post starting from tomorrow. Households comprising solely elderly persons aged 60 or above, households comprising solely young persons aged 24 or below or the homeless can submit applications to elderly service units, youth service units or service units accepting applications from the homeless respectively. Owing to the latest development of the COVID-19 pandemic, some service units may have adjusted their operating hours. Applicants are advised to submit applications by post. Applicants who wish to submit applications to the service units in person are suggested to call the service units for the operating hours. Service units may require applicants to make bookings in advance.

     The Secretariat and service units will vet each application, including verifying the eligibility, checking the supporting documents submitted, and conducting home visits/means tests on selected applications. The Secretariat will issue notifications of results to applicants after vetting applications and disburse the subsidy to eligible households. If households choose to receive the subsidy through bank transfer, the subsidy will be deposited into the bank accounts as specified in their application forms through autopay. For households that choose to receive the subsidy in the form of order cheques, the service units concerned will inform them to collect the cheques in person at the service units before the specified period.

     The 2021 Programme was launched on January 4 to relieve the financial pressure on low-income households. The subsidy levels of the 2021 Programme are as follows:
 

    
     The Secretariat started accepting applications from one-person households, two-person households and three-person households on January 4, February 1 and March 1 respectively.

     For details of the 2021 Programme, please visit the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk). Enquiries can be addressed to the enquiry hotline of the Programme on 2180 6666 or the 220 service units assisting in the implementation of the Programme.