Tag Archives: China

     The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) published today (March 15) the March 2021 issue of the “Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics” (HKMDS).

     Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains two feature articles entitled “Analysis of Hong Kong’s External Merchandise Trade by Mode of Transport” and “Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Transport Industry, 2010 to 2019”.

“Analysis of Hong Kong’s External Merchandise Trade by Mode of Transport”

     External merchandise trade is one of the important economic activities in Hong Kong. Goods are brought into or out of Hong Kong by various means of transport. In 2020, air and land are the two main modes of transport of Hong Kong’s external merchandise trade, each accounting for the same 42.7% of Hong Kong’s total value of trade in goods. Another 12.4% was transported by ocean and 1.7% by river.

     This feature article analyses the performance and characteristics of Hong Kong’s external merchandise trade by mode of transport during the period from 2010 to 2020.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade Analysis Section, the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5026; email: trade@censtatd.gov.hk).

“Business Performance and Operating Characteristics of the Transport Industry, 2010 to 2019”

     Transport plays an important role in the sustainable development of an economy. The transportation, storage and courier services sector continues to play a significant role in our economy. In 2019, this sector accounted for 5.5% of the Gross Domestic Product at current basic prices. 

     This feature article presents statistics on the business performance and operating characteristics of the transportation, storage and courier services sector during the period 2010 to 2019, mainly based on the findings of the Annual Survey of Economic Activities. Reference has also been made to relevant statistics from other sources.

     For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Logistics and Producer Prices Statistics Section, the C&SD (Tel: 3903 7255; email: transport@censtatd.gov.hk).

     Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 140 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp460.jsp?productCode=B1010002).

     Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Dissemination Section (1) of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk). read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, March 15, 2021 is 101.5 (up 0.1 against last Saturday’s index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, March 13, 2021 was 101.4 (same as last Friday’s index).     read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     US Dollar Liquidity Facility tender notice:
     

Tender date	:	March 17, 2021 (Wednesday)
Tender submission time	:	9am to noon
Settlement date	:	March 18, 2021 (Thursday)
Repayment date	:	March 25, 2021 (Thursday)
Tenor	:	Seven Days
Amount on offer	:	US$10,000 Million

 
Note: Licensed Banks interested in participating in the tender for the first time are encouraged to provide US dollar settlement instructions by email (settlementsection@hkma.gov.hk) to the HKMA’s Settlement Team in advance, preferably two days prior to the tender. Required information includes name of corresponding bank, name of final beneficiary (must be the Licensed Bank participating in the tender), and account or CHIPS number of a US dollar bank account to be settled in the US. Such information needs to be provided once only, unless there is further change. read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (March 15) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highl… read more

     The Government yesterday (March 14) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a “restriction-testing declaration” effective from 7pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as “persons subject to compulsory testing”) within the specified “restricted area” in Central and Western District (i.e. Tower 1 to 5, Dynasty Court, 23 Old Peak Road, Central and Western District) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the area had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above buildings for more than two hours from March 1 to March 14, 2021, even if they were not present in the “restricted area” at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before March 16. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 8.40am today (March 15) and carried out enforcement actions in the “restricted area” afterwards to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 11.30am today.

     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the Wong Tai Sin District Office and the Central and Western District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Fire Services Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Auxiliary Medical Service mobilised around 210 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.

     The Government provided simple food for persons subject to compulsory testing, including canned food, cup noodles, corn kernels and soy milk, etc, so as to facilitate the dinner arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. One box of masks was also provided to persons subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     The HAD also set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.

     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone’s co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 8.40am today, the Government took enforcement actions in the “restricted area” immediately to verify that all people in the “restricted area” had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the “restricted area” through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 11.30am. Twenty-three persons were found not having undergone compulsory testing. A compulsory testing order and/or a fixed penalty of $5,000 were issued to them. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the “restriction-testing declaration” in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).

     The Government hopes that the some 80 households who have not answered the door will contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after they read the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.

     The Government understands that the residents in the district are anxious because of the increase in confirmed cases recently, and they are worried that the resurgence of the pandemic will affect their health and livelihood. The Government hopes this temporary inconvenience will completely cut the local transmission chains and ease residents’ worries and fear, so that they will regain confidence in resuming social and business activities in the area, and return to a normal life.

     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.

     The Government as a whole is united in fighting against the virus despite all the difficulties, and provided testing for all the residents in the district within a short period of time in the hope of achieving zero cases in the district.

     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the “restriction-testing declaration” by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person will 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 or the “restriction-testing declaration” is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months. read more