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2024

07/02/2024
Chief Executive John Lee, together with principal officials, today began a three-day year-end programme of visits to grassroots families in Hong Kong’s 18 districts in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Mr Lee and Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak visited Ms Hau, a 91-year-old resident of Chung Uk Tsuen in Tai Po, to learn about her daily life and presented her with a Lunar New Year gift bag on behalf of the Government. They also shared the festive joy with other residents there. Miss Mak also called on senior citizens and single-parent families living in Ying Tung Estate in Tung Chung. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam visited the elderly in Wan Tsui Estate in Chai Wan, while Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan met a family and seniors living in Choi Wan (II) Estate in Ngau Chi Wan. Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Kevin Yeung was at Oi Man Estate in Ho Man Tin to visit elderly singletons and couples. Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau went to Tin Wah Estate, Tin Shui Wai and spoke to seniors and grassroots residents. Meanwhile, Secretary for Transport & Logistics Lam Sai-hung visited seniors living in Wah Sum Estate in Fanling, while in Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung spoke to singleton elderly people living there. The principal officials will continue to visit grassroots families in the coming two days.
07/02/2024
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung visited the Correctional Services Department today to meet directorate officers and frontline correctional officers and tour the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre. Mrs Yeung first met Commissioner of Correctional Services Wong Kwok-hing and directorate staff for a briefing on the custodial environment and facilities of the institution as well as ways to introduce smart elements and an advanced management mode into its facilities improvement projects. They then toured various detention, security and rehabilitation facilities and learnt about the challenges and difficulties encountered by frontline staff in the operation of the reception centre. During the visit, Mrs Yeung was also briefed by frontline staff on the Intelligent Robotic Monitoring System and how it assists correctional officers in conducting nighttime patrols and enhancing supervision of persons in custody. In addition, they learnt about the application of the Smart Health Sensing System and Contactless Vital Sign Monitoring System, which are used to monitor the breath and heartbeat of patients in the reception centre's hospital. Mrs Yeung said: “It is a general trend to utilise information technology to implement a modernised management mode in correctional facilities and proactively introduce 'smart prison' elements, which could further improve not only the operational efficiency of the reception centre but also the working environment of correctional officers.” Before concluding her visit, Mrs Yeung met staff representatives of various grades in the department. She thanked staff for their commitment and diligence in their work, and for striving to maintain round-the-clock security and order in the correctional facilities.
06/02/2024
The Immigration Department today said it estimates that over 7.5 million passengers will pass through Hong Kong’s sea, land and air control points during the upcoming festive period from February 9 to 17. The estimate was made in consultation with the Shenzhen General Station of Exit & Entry Frontier Inspection. The two parties estimate that around six million of the passengers will transit through land boundary control points. The number of passengers using land boundary control points will be highest on February 11 and February 13, when around 461,000 outbound passengers and inbound 607,000 ones are expected. Passenger traffic at the Lo Wu Control Point is expected to reach a daily average of about 170,000 passengers. Meanwhile, the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Control Point can expect around 158,000 and 105,000 passengers respectively. To facilitate cross-boundary passenger and vehicle flows during the Lunar New Year holidays, two special arrangements will be implemented. Firstly, from February 9 to 13, passenger and passenger vehicle clearance services at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point will operate around the clock. Secondly, on February 9 and 11, passenger clearance services at the Lo Wu Control Point will be extended to 2am the next day. These arrangements have been put in place after the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government reached agreement with the relevant Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities. The department, along with Police, Customs and the MTR Corporation, will set up a joint command centre at the Lo Wu Control Point to make necessary arrangements. The department will also establish close communication with the Mainland authorities and implement traffic diversion plans as necessary, in order to ensure smooth passenger traffic flows. Residents and visitors may check the estimated waiting times for arrivals and departures at each land boundary control point via a dedicated mobile application.
06/02/2024
A total of 90,276 crimes were reported in 2023, representing an increase of 28.9% compared to the figure for 2022, Police said today. The upsurge was mainly attributed to an increase in deception cases. The overall detection rate was 31.1%. The detection rate for robbery and arson cases hit a record high, while the detection rate for burglary cases was the second highest on record. As normalcy resumed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, instances of most traditional crimes increased in 2023 compared to the year before, although several crimes showed significant decreases when compared to the figures for 2018. Deception cases rose 42.6% year-on-year in 2023 to 39,824. A total of more than $9 billion was involved in these crimes. Last year, 9,239 people were arrested for involvement in deception cases, including money laundering cases. About 6,500 people were found to be stooge account holders. In November 2023, the one-stop scam and pitfall search engine, Scameter, was linked to the Faster Payment System (FPS). By the end of December, more than 148,000 alerts were issued to the public, covering high-risk transfers amounting to nearly $180 million. The 18222 Anti-Scam Helpline received some 52,000 calls last year, and more than $1.29 billion in fraudulent payments was intercepted. Police will optimise the functions of Scameter+ by incorporating automated elements to issue alerts when users browse suspicious websites and receive suspicious calls. A public reporting mechanism in the application will also be introduced. Looking forward, Police will focus this year on safeguarding national security, enhancing community engagement and soliciting support from the public, as well as working to combat deception cases.
04/02/2024
Ethics College student Alan (a pseudonym) recently attained 96 marks out of 100 in his Mathematics exam. “Never had I thought I could make it,” he said of the breakthrough in his academic life. Serving a sentence for the offence of trafficking in dangerous drugs, Alan is now also a full-time student in the Correctional Services Department’s Ethics College. The college is a new initiative established last year to give adults in custody the chance to pursue a one-year full-time Diploma of Applied Education, instead of working. The aim is to better equip them for the future, encourage them to adopt positive values and, most importantly, change their lives through education. Back to schoolHaving left school more than 10 years ago, and having failed all subjects in his public examination, Alan initially attempted self-study while in custody but found it impossible. “I tried to learn English by myself while in custody before but it was too hard to do so because no one could help me when I did not understand something,” he said. “I gave up eventually.” As an Ethics College student, however, Alan has seen steady improvement in his learning, assisted by caring teachers and hard-working fellow students. Correctional Services Department Assistant Officer I Or Siu-ming, who is responsible for overseeing students’ discipline and studies in the college, said he had witnessed remarkable changes both in Alan’s academic performance and in his attitude. “I felt really touched with Alan’s positive changes here, from being a person with low confidence to a better one who would plan for his future.”In his remaining four years behind bars, Alan plans to further his study by pursuing an associate degree. He hopes to seek a better career and repay his parents in the future. “When I was young, my parents had very high expectations on me and wanted me to concentrate on my studies, but I made them disappointed. “This time, I will never let them down again. I hope to better equip myself here and find a good job after I get released.” Total supportBella (also a pseudonym) is an Ethics College student who was also convicted of trafficking in dangerous drugs. Not having completed her Secondary 5 study, she feared that her insufficient academic qualifications would prevent her from finding a good job after her release. The Ethics College has given her what she considers to be a life-changing opportunity to go back to school. “When I learnt that I have a chance to study again, I was very happy and took the chance to apply. I could not imagine that I would be finally admitted to the college.” Bella explained that she receives enormous support for her studies in the college. “Apart from classes on school days, there are also volunteers visiting and tutoring us during the holidays. After class, I can use a tablet to continue my revision in my dormitory. “The officers who take care of us are kind and nice. They care about every single student in class.” The department’s Assistant Officer II Hui Ka-yin, who supervises Bella in the college, praised her for being hard-working and for helping to create a good learning atmosphere in class, influencing her fellow classmates to work hard as well. “After studying one semester, she grew in confidence and became a hard-working person who is eager to plan for her future.” Bella, who expects to be released this year, now has a clear career goal. “I have already found my interest here,” she said. “I plan to further my study in animal-assisted therapy. I want to do a job that I like in the future.” The Ethics College launched at the end of October with a total of 75 students in its first batch. The intake’s 60 male students are receiving their education at Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution, with 15 female students attending the classes remotely at Lo Wu Correctional Institution.
01/02/2024
The Fire Services Department today said it responded to 93.8% of building fire calls in 2023 within the graded response time, surpassing the 92.5% response rate outlined in its performance pledge. Issuing the department’s year-end review, the department said there were a total of 36,103 fire calls in 2023, an increase of 3.8% compared with the previous year. Nine of those calls involved fires equating to a No.3 alarm or above, four more than in the previous year. One of these was a No. 4 alarm fire at a construction site on Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. In all there were 40,763 special services calls in 2023, representing an increase of 15.4% over the previous year. When Hong Kong was hit by its worst rainstorm in 500 years, in September, the department received nearly 800 special services calls, 2.5 times more than usual. Another significant moment in the year came in the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Türkiye last February. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government deployed a 59-strong search and rescue team to the country to assist in relief efforts, and the team succeeded in rescuing four survivors. The department also renewed its efforts in expanding exchange and collaboration with counterparts on the Mainland and overseas in 2023. In addition to co-organising emergency rescue exercises and seminars, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau jointly established the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Fire & Rescue Knowledge Management Platform. The platform facilitates sharing of operational expertise and firefighting and rescue strategies, as well as information such as notifications about the latest fire and ambulance courses, all of which strengthens interconnectivity and mutual communication within the region. Looking ahead, the department is partaking in the implementation of the Greater Bay Area Emergency Response & Rescue Operational Plan, and will sign a co-operation framework agreement on it this year. It expects to recruit 727 personnel for its fire and ambulance streams this year, including 145 at officer rank.
31/01/2024
The Government has stepped up patrols and taken enforcement actions on the Internet due to its great concern about the problem of youth drug abuse and the trend in online drug trafficking. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung made the remarks when addressing questions from legislator Lillian Kwok in the Legislative Council today. He pointed out that in the past decade, there has been an overall decrease in the number of reported young drug abusers aged under 21, from 829 in 2014 to 659 in 2023. The number of young people arrested for drug offences has also decreased from 632 to 323 over the same period. Mr Tang said that while the situation is stable, the Government is aware of the potential hidden problem of youth drug abuse in recent years, including the global trend towards online drug dealing. Apart from emphasising that the Internet is not beyond the law, he explained that to tackle the problem of online drug dealing, the law enforcement agencies have stepped up patrols and taken relevant enforcement actions on the Internet as relevant speeches, actions, videos or social media content may serve as evidence of an offence. In the past five years, the number of online drug trafficking cases detected by Police increased from one in 2019 to 17 in 2023. The number of arrestees also increased from 22 to 166. The security chief stressed that law enforcement and preventive education and publicity are equally important in combatting youth drug abuse. He highlighted the Narcotics Division’s Healthy School Programme with a Drug Testing Component, saying its goal is to promote a drug-free school culture by enhancing students’ resolve to stay away from drugs through a wide range of personal growth activities and voluntary school drug testing. Forty-three schools took part in the programme when it was launched in 2011. The current number of participating schools has increased to 237, accounting for nearly half of the 519 secondary schools in Hong Kong, Mr Lee added.
30/01/2024
The Government today began a public consultation on its Basic Law Article 23 legislation, with Chief Executive John Lee stressing that the freedoms and rights lawfully enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong will be respected and safeguarded. Announcing the consultation exercise at a press conference this morning, Mr Lee said the Government proposes in its consultation paper that a new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance be enacted to comprehensively address present national security risks and others that may emerge in the future in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Citing the “colour revolution” of 2019 as an example of a recent risk, Mr Lee said the Hong Kong SAR has a constitutional duty to legislate for Article 23 of the Basic Law, as well as a genuine practical need to do so. “We cannot afford to wait. It is for 26 years we have been waiting; we should not wait any longer. The threats to national security, they are real. We have experienced all these threats. We have suffered from them badly. “We do not want to go through that painful experience again.” The consultation paper recommends that the ordinance should cover five major types of acts and activities endangering national security. These are treason and related acts; insurrection, incitement to mutiny and disaffection, and acts with seditious intention; theft of state secrets and espionage; sabotage endangering national security, and related activities; and external interference. Some new offences are also proposed to prevent, suppress and impose punishment for various types of acts and activities endangering national security. Mr Lee iterated that the consultation exercise will be conducted in an open manner and that the freedoms and rights of citizens will be respected. “Our whole consultation process will be open. We will be conducting different sessions to explain our proposal and will welcome views, whether those views relate to points we make in the consultation document or beyond. “We are confident, we are proud and we stand high because the principles we adopt conform with the international standard, and we are doing it in exactly the same way as other countries are doing. “We will be respecting and safeguarding the freedoms and rights lawfully enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong, by organisations in Hong Kong. “Rights and freedoms as stipulated in Basic Law Article 27, as specified in the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights, in the International Covenant on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, will all be respected and carried out in Hong Kong, and it will be recognised in the legislation we will be proposing. “The law we are legislating will have no element at all about sending any arrested persons in Hong Kong to the Mainland, so that is very clear. It is legislation to deal with the activities in Hong Kong, in Hong Kong trials, according to Hong Kong laws.” Members of the public may express their opinions on or before February 28. They may submit their views by email, by fax to 2868 5074, or by post to Security Bureau at 10/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar.
29/01/2024
A civil and commercial arrangement between the Mainland and Hong Kong came into operation today. The arrangement involves the Mainland Judgments in Civil & Commercial Matters Ordinance and the Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition & Enforcement of Judgments in Civil & Commercial Matters by the Courts of the Mainland & of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Under the arrangement's new mechanism, the courts of the two places may recognise and enforce reciprocally effective judgments in civil and commercial matters that are made by the courts of the other place and are covered by the arrangement. This reduces the need for parties to re-litigate the same dispute in the Mainland and Hong Kong courts respectively, thereby reducing the risks, legal costs and time usually associated with the cross-boundary enforcement of such judgments. The ordinance was enacted for the purpose of implementing the civil and commercial arrangement in the Hong Kong SAR through local legislation. The new mechanism applies to judgments given by Hong Kong or Mainland courts from today onwards in cases covered by the arrangement. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam remarked that the civil and commercial arrangement showcases the unique advantages enjoyed by Hong Kong under “one country, two systems”. “Hong Kong is the only jurisdiction to have an arrangement with the Mainland on reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments with such a wide coverage. The civil and commercial arrangement helps consolidate Hong Kong's status as a regional intellectual property trading centre as well as a regional centre for international legal and dispute resolution services as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.” Mr Lam and Supreme People's Court (SPC) Vice-president Yang Wanming gave an opening speech at the “New Mechanism for Reciprocal Recognition & Enforcement of Civil & Commercial Judgments between the Courts of Mainland and the Hong Kong SAR” seminar, co-organised by the SPC and the Department of Justice today. The seminar, attracting about 300 participants on-site, explains the civil and commercial arrangement as well as the ordinance, including the applicable rules and specific procedures. The public may also visit the thematic website or read the promotional leaflet on the ordinance for details.
25/01/2024
With regard to the recent Police operation against illegal use of the Elderly Health Care Voucher (EHCV), the Department of Health today issued a reminder to the public on the proper use of the voucher. The department stressed that members of the public are not allowed to use the vouchers of deceased people, and must not use their vouchers solely for purchasing goods, medical equipment or products, or medication, or redeem them for cash.  Under the EHCV scheme, voucher recipients must produce a valid Hong Kong identity card, or a Certificate of Exemption issued by the Immigration Department, to receive in-person healthcare services provided by enrolled health care providers.   The department highlighted that, even after spouses have registered for shared use of vouchers, the voucher account balance of a deceased party will not be transferred to the voucher account of their surviving spouse. Anyone attempting to use a deceased person’s voucher account balance with the deceased’s Hong Kong identity card or Certificate of Exemption may be charged with offences such as fraud, the department added. The department reiterated that it conducts regular checks in accordance with its monitoring mechanism, and that all suspected cases of violations of the scheme’s rules, or false declarations, are strictly dealt with. It added that members of the public should abide by the relevant regulations and not defy the law. Making a false declaration is a criminal offence and offenders are liable to a fine or imprisonment upon conviction. The department also reminded enrolled health care providers about the relevant regulations. Call 2838 2311 for enquiries. 

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