In view of the cold weather, the Home Affairs Department has opened 18 temporary shelters today (December 31) for people in need of the service.
               
     The temporary shelters will remain open during the daytime tomorrow (January 1) when the cold weather warning is still in force.

     To ensure that cold shelter users can rest in a quiet and undisturbed environment, members of the public or agencies wishing to make donations to shelter users are requested to register with the staff of the shelter first. Donors will then be directed to place the donated items at a specified indoor location. The staff will help notify the shelter users to collect the items on their own.

     Anyone seeking temporary refuge or with any questions about the donation arrangements at the cold shelters may call the department's hotline 2572 8427 for more information.
     
     The 18 temporary cold shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Districts:
——————–

Central and Western:
Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall
3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, 2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern:
Causeway Bay Community Centre
3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern:
Lei Tung Community Hall
Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai:
Wan Chai Activities Centre
LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon Districts:
——————

Kowloon City:
Hung Hom Community Hall
1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices, 42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong:
Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre
71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po:
Nam Cheong District Community Centre
1 Cheong San Lane, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin:
Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre
45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong:
Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre
60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories:
—————-

Islands:
Tung Chung Community Hall
G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building
39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing:
Tai Wo Hau Estate Community Centre
15 Tai Wo Hau Road, Kwai Chung

North:
Cheung Wah Community Hall
Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung:
King Lam Neighbourhood Community Centre
King Lam Estate, Tseung Kwan O

Sha Tin:
Lung Hang Estate Community Centre
Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin

Tai Po:
Tai Po Community Centre
2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po

Tsuen Wan:
Lei Muk Shue Community Hall
G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun:
Butterfly Bay Community Centre
Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun

Yuen Long:
Long Ping Community Hall
Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

     The Government today (December 31) announced the appointment of two new members and the re-appointment of four incumbent members to the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee (BLPSC). Two new members and three incumbent members are appointed for a term of two years, while another incumbent member is re-appointed for a term of one year. The appointments will be effective from January 1, 2021.

     The two new members are Ms Melissa Kaye Pang and Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung.

     The three incumbent members re-appointed for a term of two years are Ms Teresa Au Pui-yee, Dr Wendy Hong and Mr Clement Woo Kin-man, while Dr Simon Hoey Lee is re-appointed for a term of one year.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration and BLPSC Chairman, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, expressed his gratitude to the outgoing members, Mr Johnny Mok Shiu-luen, SC, Dr David Wong Yau-kar, Mr Thomas Cheung Tsun-yung and Ms Clara Shek Ka-lai, for their contribution and dedication to the work of the BLPSC during their term of service. He also welcomed the two new members and looked forward to working with them closely.

     Mr Cheung said, "The Basic Law clearly states that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China and a local special administrative region enjoying a high degree of autonomy and coming directly under the Central People's Government. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was established under Article 31 of the Constitution, and the systems to be instituted in the special administrative region are prescribed in accordance with the Constitution through the adoption and promulgation of the Basic Law by the National People's Congress."

     He stressed, "The Constitution and the Basic Law form the constitutional basis of the HKSAR. A full and comprehensive understanding of the Constitution and the Basic Law by Hong Kong citizens is fundamental to the successful implementation of 'One Country, Two Systems'. The BLPSC will continue to promote the Constitution and the Basic Law through publicity and education to various sectors of the community."

     The BLPSC was established in January 1998. It provides the necessary steer on the overall programme and strategy for promoting the Basic Law and provides an organisational focus for co-ordinating the efforts of various parties concerned, both in the Government and in the community.

     Following is the membership list of the BLPSC with effect from January 1, 2021:

Chairperson
————-
Chief Secretary for Administration
 
Non-official Members
————————
Ms Teresa Au Pui-yee
Mrs Viola Chan Man Yee-wai
Miss Debbie Cheung Sui-ki
Mr Stanley Choi Tak-shing
Miss Fang Xin
Dr Henry Ho Kin-chung
Dr Wendy Hong
Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung
Mr Vincent Lam Tak-hing
Mr Lau Ping-cheung
Dr Simon Hoey Lee
Mr Rex Mok Chung-fai
Ms Melissa Kaye Peng
Ms Carol Wong
Mr Clement Woo Kin-man
Mr Eric Yeung Chuen-sing
Mr Yu Tai Wai
 
Official Members
——————-
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
Secretary for the Civil Service
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
Secretary for Education
Secretary for Home Affairs
Secretary for Security
Solicitor General, Department of Justice
Director of Home Affairs
Director of Information Services
Director-General of Trade and Industry

     The Government announced today (December 31) its financial results for the eight months ended November 30, 2020.
  
     Expenditure for the period April to November 2020 amounted to HK$557.2 billion and revenue HK$238.8 billion, resulting in a cumulative year-to-date deficit of HK$318.4 billion.
 
     A Government spokesperson said that the cumulative year-to-date deficit for the period was mainly due to the fact that some major types of revenue, including salaries and profits taxes, are mostly received towards the end of a financial year, and the payments in respect of the Cash Payout Scheme and various measures under the Anti-epidemic Fund. The revised estimates for the current financial year will be published along with the 2021-22 Budget on February 24, 2021.
 
     The fiscal reserves stood at HK$841.9 billion as at November 30, 2020.
 
     Detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
 
TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)
 

Government Debts as at November 30, 2020 (Note 3)
     HK$7,751 million
Debts Guaranteed by Government as at November 30, 2020 (Note 4)
     HK$67,604.4 million

TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES
 

Notes:
 
1. This Account consolidates the General Revenue Account and the following eight Funds: Capital Works Reserve Fund, Capital Investment Fund, Civil Service Pension Reserve Fund, Disaster Relief Fund, Innovation and Technology Fund, Land Fund, Loan Fund and Lotteries Fund. It excludes the Bond Fund, the balance of which is not part of the fiscal reserves. The Bond Fund balance as at November 30, 2020, was HK$131,354 million.

2. Includes transactions with the Exchange Fund and resident banks.

3. These were the Green Bonds of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,751 million as at November 30, 2020) which were denominated in US dollars with maturity in May 2024. They do not include the outstanding bonds with nominal value of HK$101,515 million and alternative bonds with nominal value of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,751 million as at November 30, 2020) issued under the Government Bond Programme (with proceeds credited to the Bond Fund). Of these bonds under the Government Bond Programme (including Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$5,915 million, which may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders), bonds with nominal value of HK$14,500 million will mature within the period from December 2020 to November 2021 and the rest within the period from December 2021 to March 2034.

4. Includes guarantees provided under the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2001, the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2008, the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme launched in 2012 and a commercial loan of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.

5. Includes HK$219,691 million being the balance of the Land Fund held in the name of "Future Fund", for long-term investments initially up to December 31, 2025. The Future Fund also includes HK$4,800 million, being one-third of the actual surplus in 2015-16 as top-up.

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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (December 31) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,451.8 billion as at November 30, 2020, HK$14.4 billion lower than that at the end of October 2020. Foreign currency assets decreased by HK$29.6 billion while Hong Kong dollar assets increased by HK$15.2 billion.
 
     The decline in foreign currency assets was mainly due to a decrease in unsettled purchase of securities, which was partly offset by the mark-to-market revaluation on foreign currency investments. The rise in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to the mark-to-market revaluation on Hong Kong equities.
 
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of November 2020 was HK$2,109.6 billion, increased by HK$0.6 billion from the end of October 2020. The rise was mainly due to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness.
 
     The amount of Backing Assets increased by HK$0.7 billion to HK$2,316.7 billion. The increase was mainly attributable to the issuance of Certificates of Indebtedness. The backing ratio increased from 109.81 per cent at the end of October 2020 to 109.82 per cent at the end of November 2020.

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     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of December 2020, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (December 31) the analytical data on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's foreign currency reserves and foreign currency liquidity as at the end of November 2020 (Annex). These data are published monthly in the Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard.

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     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of December 2020, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows: