The Census and Statistics Department is conducting the 2020 Annual Survey of Companies in Hong Kong with Parent Companies Located outside Hong Kong, on behalf of Invest Hong Kong. The survey aims to collect information useful to the Government in formulating strategies for cultivating a favourable environment for conducting business in Hong Kong and further developing support services for existing and prospective investors from outside Hong Kong. Such information will help Invest Hong Kong better understand the needs of foreign companies in Hong Kong and tailor its promotions, both locally and overseas, of Hong Kong as a leading destination for foreign direct investment.
 
     The survey covers companies in various economic sectors in Hong Kong with their parent companies located outside Hong Kong. A questionnaire has been sent earlier to each of the relevant companies together with the notification letter. To assist these companies in providing the information as required, an electronic template of the questionnaire is available upon request.
 
     Information being sought in the survey includes general information relating to these companies and opinions of the management of these companies about conducting business in Hong Kong.
 
     The survey is conducted under Part IIIA of the Census and Statistics Ordinance (Chapter 316) and was notified in Government Notice No. 2816 in the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette of April 27, 2018, as a voluntary statistical survey. The said Ordinance stipulates that all collected information which may enable identification of individual companies should be kept in strict confidence and not be released to any unauthorised parties. Such data will solely be used for compiling statistics which will not enable information relating to individual companies to be revealed.
 
     The department would like to thank those companies which had participated in previous rounds of the survey, and appeals for the support of the management of all companies which have been selected in the current survey round for their co-operation by returning the completed questionnaires to the department on or before June 30, 2020.
 
     Where applicable, staff of the department may phone or visit individual companies to offer assistance in completing the questionnaire. Whilst on duty, they will each carry an Enumerator Identity Card and a certificate for conducting the survey, which will be available for inspection.
 
     Enquiries regarding the survey can be directed to the Business Expectation Statistics Section of the department (Tel: 3579 2311 or email: regional‑offices@censtatd.gov.hk).

     As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to protect the safety of their employees when they are carrying out electrical work or handling electrical plant.

     A spokesman for the LD said today (June 8) that employers and contractors should avoid assigning employees to carry out electrical work (like electric arc welding work) or handle electrical plant at places affected by rainstorms, and should refer to the "Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms" and the "Guide on Safety at Work in times of Inclement Weather" issued by the LD.

     Even if electrical work is carried out or electrical plant is handled at places not affected by the rainstorm, suitable safety measures must still be adopted to prevent electric shock as the air would be more humid. Such measures include:

(i) Ensure that all live parts of an electrical installation are isolated from the power supply source and rendered dead, and the isolation from the power supply source must be maintained as long as electrical work is being carried out;

(ii) Before carrying out any electrical work or handling any electrical plant, cut off and lock out the power supply source, then test the circuit concerned to confirm it is dead and display suitable warning notices, and issue a work permit thereafter;

(iii) Ensure that protective devices (such as suitable and adequate fuses and circuit breakers) for the electrical installations or electrical plant have been installed and maintained in good working order, and portable electric tools must be double-insulated or properly earthed;

(iv) Provide suitable personal protective equipment such as insulating gloves and insulating mats for employees; and

(v) If live electrical work is unavoidable, a comprehensive risk assessment should be conducted by a competent person and the appropriate safety precautions should be taken to remove or properly control the electrical hazards involved before such work can proceed.

     In addition, employees should co-operate with the employer or contractor to follow the safety instructions and use the safety equipment provided.

     The LD has published guidebooks and leaflets on electrical work safety. These safety publications are available free from divisional offices of the department or can be downloaded from its website (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/content2_8.htm).

     Should there be any questions about occupational safety and health matters, please contact the Occupational Safety Officer of the LD at 2559 2297.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     Members of the public are advised to report any street flooding that comes to their notice to the Drainage Services Department by calling the 24-hour drainage hotline on 2300 1110.

     Owing to the thunderstorm warning, the flag-raising ceremony to be conducted at Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai at 8am today (June 8) will be cancelled.

     In response to a call by a group for holding a so-called strike and class boycott as a referendum to oppose the Decision by the National People's Congress (NPC) on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to safeguard national security, a spokesman for the HKSAR Government today (June 7) strongly condemned the call and appealed to the public for their full understanding and staunch support for legislation of the national security law in Hong Kong.

     The spokesman said that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China. It is a local administrative region that comes directly under the Central People's Government and enjoys a high degree of autonomy. Safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the constitutional requirement of the HKSAR, the duty of the HKSAR Government, and is also in the interest of all Hong Kong residents. The constitutionality, lawfulness and reasonableness of formulating at the national level the legal framework for national security for HKSAR is beyond doubt.

     The law for the HKSAR to safeguard national security, to be introduced by the Standing Committee of the NPC as authorised under the Decision, targets four types of activities or acts that seriously jeopardise national security, namely secession, subversion, organising and carrying out terrorist activities as well as interference in the HKSAR's affairs by foreign and external forces. Such laws target the very small minority of people who participate in acts or activities which seriously undermine national security. They will not affect the legitimate rights and freedoms enjoyed by the vast majority of Hong Kong residents under the law, including freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of demonstration and of procession. Moreover, the national security law will better maintain safety and stability in society and ensure that Hong Kong becomes a safer and more stable city, making it conducive to maintaining a favourable environment for business and investment. All relevant law enforcement will be conducted strictly in accordance with the law as well as statutory powers and procedures.

     Since last year, some people have been advocating openly for "Hong Kong independence", "self-determination" and "referendum", participating in acts of secession or activities which clearly undermine national unity, challenge the Basic Law and "one country, two systems". Such acts and activities not only undermine the rule of law and order in Hong Kong, but also jeopardise national sovereignty, security and development interests. Furthermore, some organisations have continuously incited students and the young to perform illegal acts. Many young people have thus been arrested and jailed, with their future seriously affected.

     "The Basic Law and Hong Kong's legal system do not provide for any 'referendum' mechanism. Conducting any form of a so-called 'referendum' will have no constitutional basis or legal effect. Holding a strike and a class boycott as a referendum is obviously taking advantage of students for political purposes," the spokesman stressed.

     "All of society should dissociate themselves from any organisation, which has repeatedly through different means used school as a venue for expressing political demands and even intentionally misleading or inciting students, especially primary and secondary school students, to take part in such meaningless activities and holding so-called strikes or class boycotts as a referendum. We call on parents and teachers to better protect our next generation, to urge the young children and students not to participate in such activities and work together in preventing politics and fallacies from invading schools."

     The spokesman stressed that the HKSAR Government firmly supports and fully co-operates in implementing work relating to the Decision passed by the NPC. No person or organisation will succeed in intimidating the HKSAR Government by extreme means.