Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam and the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, at a media session before the Executive Council meeting today (June 2): R… read more
The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, will visit Beijing tomorrow (June 3). Regarding the legislation to be enacted by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to safeguard national security, the Central People’s Government will listen to Mrs Lam’s views. The Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC; the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Tang Ping-keung; and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, will join the visit.
Mrs Lam will depart for Shenzhen this evening before going to Beijing tomorrow morning. She will return to Shenzhen in the evening on the same day, before coming back to Hong Kong in the morning of June 4. During her absence, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, will be the Acting Chief Executive. read more
​Hong Kong Customs seized a total of about 4 000 items of suspected counterfeit mobile phones and accessories with an estimated market value of about $1.1 million in Kwai Chung and Tsim Sha Tsui on May 28.
Customs officers mounted a special anti-counterfeit operation at the devanning area of Container Port Road South, Kwai Chung, on that day. Through risk assessment and intelligence analysis, Customs officers inspected an inbound express cargo of a logistics company arriving in Hong Kong from the Mainland and seized about 500 items of suspected counterfeit mobile phones and accessories.
After follow-up investigation, Customs officers arrested a 35-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman suspected to be in connection with the case at a trading company in Tsim Sha Tsui on the same day. Two counterfeit mobile phones and accessories storehouses of the trading company were also smashed. A further seizure of about 3 500 items of suspected counterfeit mobile phones and accessories was made.
Customs believes that the company involved was targeting overseas customers to provide them with mobile phone repair services using counterfeit parts and to sell them counterfeit mobile phones and accessories.
The arrested persons were released on bail pending further enquiries. Investigation is ongoing.
Customs will continue to strengthen co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies and take stringent enforcement actions against cross-boundary counterfeit goods activities.
Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who sells or possesses for sale any goods with a forged trademark commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).
Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: Here is an item of interest to swimmers. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 2) that due to the sig… read more
The Labour Department (LD) is highly concerned about a fatal work accident that happened at a recycling yard in Yuen Long this morning (June 1), in which a male worker fell from height while assisting in unloading metal scraps. He was certified dead later in the hospital. The LD is saddened by the death of the worker and expresses its deepest sympathies to the victim’s family.
​ The LD’s spokesman said, “We commenced an immediate on-site investigation as soon as we were notified of the accident and issued suspension notices to the employer / occupier concerned, suspending the work concerned. The contractors cannot resume the work process until the LD is satisfied that measures to abate the relevant risk have been taken.”
The spokesman added, “We will complete investigation as soon as possible to identify the cause of the accident, ascertain the liability of the duty holders and recommend improvement measures. We will take actions pursuant to the law if there is any violation of the work safety legislation.”
The general duty provisions of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance require employers to provide safe working environments, plant and safe systems of work for their employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for six months.
The general duty provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance require occupiers of premises/employers to provide safe means of access and egress and safe working environments, plant and systems of work for the employees. Those who contravene the above provisions are liable to a fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for six months.
In regard to today’s accident, the LD will issue a Work Safety Alert through its website and email, giving a brief account of the accident concerned to duty holders, workers’ unions, professional bodies of safety practitioners and others, reminding the industry of the importance of following safety precautionary measures to prevent a recurrence of similar accidents.
The LD will also remind the employer concerned of the liability for employees’ compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, assist family members of the deceased to claim employees’ compensation and closely follow up on the case. For those with financial difficulties, the LD will assist them to apply for appropriate emergency funds. Subject to the needs and wishes of family members of the deceased, the LD will also liaise with the Social Welfare Department for financial or other assistance.
For the sake of securing the safety and health of employees at work, the LD appeals to employers to provide plant and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. Employees should co-operate with their employers, adopt all safety measures and use personal protective equipment provided properly to avoid endangering their own work safety and that of other workers. read more