The following is issued on behalf of the Electoral Affairs Commission:
 
     The Electoral Affairs Commission today (June 11) released the proposed guidelines on election-related activities in respect of the District Council Election for public consultation. The consultation will last for 30 days until July 10.
 
     "The 2019 District Council Ordinary Election will be held on November 24. Before each District Council ordinary election, the Commission will revise and update the guidelines for use at the coming ordinary election and the subsequent by-elections," the Commission Chairman, Mr Justice Barnabas Fung Wah, said at a press conference.
 
     "The proposed guidelines have two aspects, namely, to explain in simple language the relevant legislative provisions and to promulgate a code of conduct in election-related activities based on the principle of fairness and equality, to ensure that the elections are conducted in an honest and fair manner," Mr Justice Fung said.
 
     "The proposed guidelines are prepared on the basis of the existing guidelines for the District Council Election, with revisions to reflect the relevant legislative amendments and suitable updates in the light of experience in past elections. Certain parts of the guidelines are also further elaborated for better understanding of the principles."
 
     The proposed guidelines set out the legal requirement for a registered elector to submit address proof upon an application for change of residential address and that the statutory deadline for electors to submit change of address has been advanced by one month, and stress that it is an offence to knowingly or recklessly give false or misleading information for voter registration.
 
     The proposed guidelines update the reminders on issuing election advertisements, which include reminding persons or organisations publishing materials appealing to electors to vote for anyone capable of being reasonably understood by an elector as referring to a certain identified candidate or candidates to observe the legislative provisions relating to incurring election expenses on behalf of the candidates.

     The proposed guidelines also reflect the legislative amendment that a person, other than a candidate and an authorised election expense agent, who publishes a message on the Internet capable of being an election advertisement will be exempted from the relevant criminal liability for incurring election expenses not in the capacity of a candidate or an election expense agent if the expenses incurred are only electricity and/or Internet access charges.
 
     "Media organisations should treat all candidates in accordance with the principle of fair and equal treatment in producing and publishing election-related programmes and reports. In this context, the proposed guidelines set out the new definition for 'candidate', i.e. a person whose nomination form has been received by the Returning Officer, which is different from the definition under the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance. The list of such candidates will be published on the election website for the media and public reference," Mr Justice Fung said.
 
     He added that when determining whether any programme or reporting by the media is in breach of the fair and equal treatment principle, the Commission may take into consideration the overall reporting by the media organisation during the election period (i.e. from the start of the nomination period up to the close of polling).
    
     The proposed guidelines also stress that under the law, canvassing activities are prohibited in the entire building where a polling station is located as well as on the ground floor level of other buildings within the No Canvassing Zone, regardless of whether they are government or private premises, and even if approval has been obtained from the building management concerned.
 
     Mr Justice Fung also reminded electors that the Registration and Electoral Office (REO) continues to implement checking measures in the current voter registration cycle and has issued inquiry letters to about 80 000 electors. Using other contact information provided by the electors under inquiry, the REO has also contacted them via telephone, mobile phone short message service, email or fax to remind them to respond as soon as possible. Electors under inquiry are urged to respond by July 2 so that their voter registration can be retained.
   
     The proposed guidelines can be downloaded from the Commission website (www.eac.hk). They are also available for public inspection at the REO and the Public Enquiry Service Centres of District Offices.
 
     Written representations can be submitted to the Commission's Secretariat by post at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, by fax (2511 1682) or by email (eacenq@.eac.hk) at the latest by July 10. Late submissions will not be considered.
 
     To gather views on the proposed guidelines, the Commission will hold a public forum from 7pm to 9pm on June 25 (Tuesday) at Quarry Bay Community Hall, 1 Greig Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.
 
     For enquiries, please call 2891 1001.

  

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

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today announces a new service schedule of the two "Coin Carts" under the Coin Collection Programme, for the period of July 29 to September 29. The schedule and other details of the Programme are shown on the HKMA webpage (coincollection.hkma.gov.hk).
      
     Since the launch of the Programme in October 2014, the two Coin Carts have completed 25 cycles of serving the 18 districts on May 19, 2019. The Carts had carried out 591 000 transactions, collecting 483 million coins with a total face value of HK$684 million during the period.  The collected coins are re-circulated to meet demand.
      
     The Coin Carts provide service at locations that are convenient to the public without affecting the normal flow of traffic and pedestrians. Locations that have suitable power supply facilities, such as the Leisure and Cultural Services Department mobile library service locations, are preferred so as to reduce the need for using the Coin Carts' own stand-by generators. This makes the Programme more environmentally friendly. In selecting the service locations, the HKMA has taken into consideration comments and suggestions given by district councils and members of public; and has consulted the Transport Department and the Hong Kong Police Force as necessary.
      
     The two Coin Carts collect coins from members of public in the 18 districts of Hong Kong on a rotating basis. Under normal circumstances each Coin Cart will stay at a location for a week, subject to availability of the parking space and the maintenance schedule of the Cart.  Service hours are from 10 am to 7 pm. Each vehicle is equipped with two coin counting machines and operational staff will be present to provide assistance. An electrical wheelchair lift is available for use. Users can choose to exchange coins for banknotes or adding value to their stored value facilities, such as Octopus Cards or e-wallets (including AlipayHK, Octopus O! ePay, Tap&Go, TNG Wallet and WeChat Pay). There is also a Community Chest donation box inside each vehicle. The coin collection service is free of charge.
      
     The HKMA will review the Programme from time and time; and will regularly update the service schedule to give advance notice to the public.

     Regarding the appeal by social welfare organisations/unions for a collective action tomorrow (June 12), a spokesman for the Social Welfare Department today (June 11) called on all social welfare practitioners to display professionalism while expressing their views and to ensure that any action will not affect services or users' interests.

     In the first quarter of 2019, 25.7% of Hong Kong's total exports to the mainland of China (the Mainland) were for outward processing in the Mainland. On the other hand, 36.9% of Hong Kong's imports from the Mainland were related to outward processing in the Mainland, according to statistics released today (June 11) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD). Over the same period, 64.7% of Hong Kong's re-exports of Mainland origin to other places were produced through outward processing in the Mainland.
 
     In the first quarter of 2018, the corresponding proportions were 25.8% for total exports to the Mainland, 37.3% for imports from the Mainland and 65.0% for re-exports of Mainland origin to other places.
 
     In value terms, $123.5 billion of Hong Kong's total exports to the Mainland in the first quarter of 2019 were for outward processing in the Mainland, representing a decrease of 6.9% compared with the first quarter of 2018. On the other hand, the value of imports from the Mainland related to outward processing in the Mainland decreased by 1.6% compared with the first quarter of 2018 to $173.7 billion. Meanwhile, $203.4 billion of Hong Kong's re-exports of Mainland origin to other places were produced through outward processing in the Mainland, representing an increase of 1.1% compared with the first quarter of 2018.
 
     The statistics for the first quarter of 2019 are given in the attached tables.
 
     Information on trade involving outward processing in the Mainland is collected in a sample survey conducted by the C&SD. For the purpose of the survey, exports to the Mainland for outward processing refer to raw materials or semi-manufactures exported from or through Hong Kong to the Mainland for processing with a contractual arrangement for subsequent re-importation of the processed goods into Hong Kong.
 
     Imports from the Mainland related to outward processing refer to processed goods imported from the Mainland, of which all or part of the raw materials or semi-manufactures have been under contractual arrangement exported from or through Hong Kong to the Mainland for processing.
 
     Re-exports of Mainland origin to other places involving outward processing in the Mainland refer to processed goods re-exported through Hong Kong, of which all or part of the raw materials or semi-manufactures have been exported from or through Hong Kong to the Mainland for processing with a contractual arrangement for subsequent re-importation of the processed goods into Hong Kong.
 
     In interpreting the statistics, it should be noted that all imports and exports of goods (not including transhipments and goods-in-transit) are recorded as external trade, irrespective of whether the goods are associated with outward processing or not. Moreover, the value and proportion of imports from the Mainland and re-exports of Mainland origin to other places involving outward processing in the Mainland refer to those of the entire goods instead of just the value added contributed by outward processing in the Mainland.
 
     A sample of import/export declarations in respect of Hong Kong's trade with the Mainland and Hong Kong's re-exports originated in the Mainland to other places is selected for enumeration to obtain the required information from the establishments concerned. The findings of the survey facilitate a more informed analysis of the nature of Hong Kong's trade with the Mainland. In this respect, the survey results are a useful supplement to the regular trade statistics.
 
     The above survey results will be included in the June 2019 issue of the "Hong Kong External Merchandise Trade". The publication will be available in August 2019. Users can download this publication free of charge from the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp230.jsp?productCode=B1020005).
 
     Enquiries on the survey results may be directed to the Outward Processing and Shipping Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 2126 or email: ops@censtatd.gov.hk).

     The total gross value of construction works performed by main contractors in the first quarter of 2019 decreased by 11.5% in nominal terms over a year earlier to $56.9 billion, according to the provisional results of the Quarterly Survey of Construction Output released today (June 11) by the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD). 
 
     After discounting the effect of price changes, the provisional results showed that the total gross value of construction works performed by main contractors decreased by 13.9% in real terms over the same period.
  
     Gross value of construction works in real terms is derived by deflating the corresponding nominal value with an appropriate price index to the price level in the base period of 2000.
  
     Analysed by type of construction works, the gross value of construction works performed at private sector sites totalled $16.5 billion in the first quarter of 2019, down by 16.9% in nominal terms over a year earlier. In real terms, it decreased by 16.6%. 
 
     The gross value of construction works performed at public sector sites decreased by 25.1% in nominal terms over a year earlier to $16.1 billion in the first quarter of 2019. In real terms, it decreased by 28.3%.
  
     The gross value of construction works performed by main contractors at locations other than construction sites amounted to $24.3 billion in the first quarter of 2019, up by 6.1% in nominal terms compared with a year earlier. In real terms, it increased by 3.3%. Construction works at locations other than construction sites included minor new construction activities and decoration, repair and maintenance for buildings; and electrical equipment installation and maintenance works at locations other than construction sites.
  
     Analysed by major end-use group, the gross value of construction works performed at construction sites in respect of residential buildings projects amounted to $14.9 billion in the first quarter of 2019, down by 16.9% in nominal terms over a year earlier. Over the same period, the gross value of construction works performed at construction sites in respect of transport projects dropped by 38.3% in nominal terms to $6.8 billion in the first quarter of 2019.
  
     On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter basis, the gross value of construction works performed by main contractors decreased by 7.1% in nominal terms and decreased by 5.2% in real terms in the first quarter of 2019 compared with the fourth quarter of 2018.
 
     Table 1 shows the provisional figures on the gross value of construction works performed by main contractors in the first quarter of 2019. Tables 2 and 3 show the revised figures for the whole year of 2018 and the fourth quarter of 2018 respectively.
  
     Owing to the widespread sub-contracting practices in the construction industry, a construction establishment can be a main contractor for one contract and a sub-contractor for another contract at the same time. The gross value of construction works performed by main contractors covers only those projects in which the construction establishment takes the role of a main contractor, but not projects in which it takes only the role of a sub-contractor. However, sub-contractors' contribution to projects should have been included in the gross value of construction works performed by main contractors for whom they worked.
  
     The classification of construction establishments follows the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification Version 2.0, which is used in various economic surveys for classifying economic units into different industry classes.
 
     More detailed statistics are given in "Report on the Quarterly Survey of Construction Output, 1st Quarter 2019". Users can download this publication free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp330.jsp?productCode=B1090002).
  
     For enquiries about the survey results, please contact the Construction and Miscellaneous Services Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3903 6965 or email: building@censtatd.gov.hk).