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The Security Bureau today said that the last Hong Kong resident who had contracted COVID-19 while aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship and was hospitalised in Japan has returned to Hong Kong.

 

Immigration Department staff that assisted Hong Kong residents in Japan have completed their mission and returned to Hong Kong as well.

 

In early February, a cluster of COVID-19 infection cases occurred on the Diamond Princess cruise docked in Yokohama.

 

Of some 3,700 passengers and crew, about 370 were from Hong Kong. The 712 confirmed COVID-19 cases associated with the cruise included 76 Hong Kong residents who were hospitalised in Japan for isolation and treatment.

 

While three Hong Kong residents passed away, the remaining 73 patients returned to Hong Kong or their places of residence after being discharged from the hospital.

 

As for other Hong Kong residents on the cruise, the bureau noted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government arranged three flights, between February 19 and 23, to escort 193 of them back to the city.

 

Upon arrival, they were transferred to the quarantine centre at Chun Yeung Estate to undergo 14 days of quarantine.

 

Another 144 Hong Kong residents returned on their own via other flights, including 25 close contacts of the patients who had completed quarantine in Japan.

 

For those who returned to Hong Kong on their own and did not complete 14 days of quarantine in Japan, they were required to complete the remaining quarantine period at a quarantine centre.

 

Of the 231 cruise passengers admitted to the quarantine centre at Chun Yeung Estate, nine tested positive for COVID-19 and were sent to hospitals for isolation and treatment.

 

The Hong Kong SAR Government expressed profound condolences on the passing of the Hong Kong patients and its deepest sympathies to their families.

 

The SAR Government emphasised that the incident could not have been resolved smoothly without the staunch support of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan and Japanese authorities.

 

The SAR Government also thanked Cathay Pacific Airways and the Airport Authority for their assistance, the bureau added.

The Government today announced the establishment of a LawTech Fund to help law firms and barristers' chambers procure and upgrade information technology (IT) systems and arrange lawtech training courses for their staff.

 

In a statement, the Department of Justice said the LawTech Fund, established under the Anti-epidemic Fund, will be open for applications from April 28 and cater to small and medium-size law firms as well as barristers’ chambers.

 

Applications will be accepted for two months and those eligible can receive a reimbursement of up to $50,000.

 

The Law Society of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Bar Association will establish a joint committee to assess the applications and arrange funding disbursement.

 

More than 60% of law firms and 50% of barristers' chambers in Hong Kong are expected to benefit from the funding.

 

As for funding eligibility, law firms or chambers must have five or fewer practising lawyers as at April 8 and at the time of granting the subsidy.

 

The subsidies must be used for procuring and upgrading IT systems, including but not confined to video-conferencing facilities. The lawtech training that is to receive the subsidy must be recognised and approved by the joint committee.

 

The application form and guidance notes are available at the homepages of the Law Society and the Bar Association.

 

The Secretary for Justice has given an outline of the fund and discussed lawtech in her blog.

The violence and vandalism in recent months sparked a crisis of confidence of our rule of law. The so-called justice lawbreaking or civil disobedience is never justified under the law. I urge all of you not to engage in any illegal activities.

 

The Court of Final Appeal in its judgment (FACC8-10/2017) pointed out that: (1) unlawful assemblies involving violence, even a relatively low degree, will not be condoned and may justifiably attract sentences of immediate imprisonment in the future; and (2) little weight will be given to the mitigation that the offending act was committed in the exercise of constitutional rights or acts of civil disobedience because the fact of a conviction will necessarily mean the offender has crossed the line separating the lawful exercise of his constitutional rights from unlawful activity subject to sanctions and constraints.

 

There are suggestions that deliberate lawbreaking might be considered to achieve objectives, however, this would bring a wrong concept of the rule of law. The escalated violence and vandalism in the last few months have also undermined the perception of the rule of law among the public. My colleagues and I would promote and publicise the correct concept of the rule of law to the citizens through different channels. In analysing the current situation, I hope that we all could remain reasonable and objective by keeping an open mind, being informed and considering all relevant facts before coming to a conclusion.

 

Our rule of law has been highly regarded, and such an achievement was not easy to come by. We should all join hands to cherish and safeguard our rule of law. Abiding by the law is one of the many obligations that ought to be observed by the public. Law exists in practice but it should not only be practised by lawyers, judges and governments. More importantly, the rule of law should be observed and respected by the community as a whole. The Government would continue to be strongly committed to upholding the rule of law.

 

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on December 22.

It has been two months since the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government raised the COVID-19 response level to the highest level of “Emergency” on January 25. A month ago, I wrote an article titled “Continue Our Fight Determined to Win” to report on our anti-epidemic work in the first month. Today, I would like to review with you the developments of the epidemic and the Government’s responses over the past month, as well as make some urgent appeals.

 

Developments of the epidemic

 

In the period from mid-February to mid-March, the overall situation of the epidemic in Hong Kong was stable. There were almost no imported cases from the Mainland, and there were only single-digit new confirmed cases each day. If we exclude imported cases/cases with a travel history of Hong Kong residents and their close contacts, there were only sporadic local cases, and even zero local cases in 12 days. This shows that the whole community has a high awareness of disease prevention and has been vigilant in maintaining personal hygiene and social distancing, and the Government’s anti-epidemic measures have attained certain results.

 

However, as the disease is rapidly spreading overseas, the number of confirmed cases and the speed at which it increases are terrifying. The global number of confirmed cases reached 100,000 on March 6, exceeded 200,000 on March 18, and subsequently increased to 300,000 in just three days and to 400,000 today in another three days. Following the outbreak in Korea earlier, outbreaks occurred within a short time in places like Europe and the United States, with Italy and Spain becoming the most heavily hit regions.

 

 Cumulative number of confirmed cases in selected countries in Europe and America

 

 

Since there is a huge difference in the population of every country and region, considering the number of confirmed cases alone may not reflect the severity of the epidemic in different places. The incidence rate of infection per million population is therefore a common indicator:

 

Countries and regions

Cumulative no. of confirmed cases

Population (million)

Incidence rate (cases per million population)

Mainland China

81,218

1,435.0

56.6

Italy

69,176

60.5

1,144.1

United States of America

44,183

331.0

133.5

Spain

39,673

46.8

848.5

Germany

27,436

83.8

327.5

France

22,300

65.3

341.6

Korea

9,137

51.3

178.2

United Kingdom

8,077

67.9

119.0

Switzerland

8,015

8.7

926.1

Australia

1,709

5.5

309.7

Japan

1,193

126.5

9.4

Singapore

558

5.9

95.4

Hong Kong

387

7.5

51.6

Taiwan

216

23.8

9.1

Macau

30

0.65

46.2

(Figures as at March 24)

From the chart and table above, we can actually see that Hong Kong’s situation is better than quite a number of regions in Europe, America and Asia Pacific. During discussions and in literature regarding this disease, I always hear experts say that the Government should strive to flatten the curve. From the chart below, we can see that the curve for Hong Kong, before rising almost linearly in the recent ten days due to the large increase in imported cases, was quite flat. Yet, this relatively stable situation has changed since mid-March, which is worrying. 

 

Cumulative number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong

 

 

Due to the escalating epidemic and the gradual suspension of local universities and boarding schools in Europe and the United States, a large number of Hong Kong residents and students studying abroad returned to Hong Kong. This wave of return to Hong Kong led to a great increase in imported cases. In the past 14 days, close to 90% of confirmed cases (233 cases in total) either have been abroad or are close contacts of these confirmed cases. Just Hong Kong residents studying in the United Kingdom account for 28 confirmed cases.

 

The expert advisory panel of the Government’s Steering Committee & Command Centre pointed out that although the drastic increase in number of cases is worrying, Hong Kong can still contain the epidemic as long as we step up the containment strategy adopted previously and have the support of the general public.

 

Anti-epidemic efforts

 

The inter-departmental Steering Committee & Command Centre chaired by me has remained vigilant over the past month. During the time when the infection situation was rather stable, we still kept a close watch on the developments of the epidemic in the local community and in other places of the world. We also made use of the opportunity to make necessary preparations for future anti-epidemic work. These include enhancing community surveillance through free virus tests, providing more isolation and quarantine centres, increasing the production and procurement of surgical masks and other personal protective equipment, and implementing over 20 initiatives under the Anti-epidemic Fund to support the sectors and members of the public hard hit by the epidemic. In the first half of March when the epidemic became more serious, we acted promptly and implemented numerous measures to cope with the situation within a short period of time.

 

Major measures implemented by the Government to respond to the developments of the epidemic in the past month are set out in the following table.

 

Date

Event

February 28

Issuing the Red Outbound Travel Alert (OTA) on three regions in Italy, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above three regions or to Iran where the Red OTA remains in force in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 1.

February 28

The Hospital Authority (HA) extended the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme to cover patients below 18 years old and those with fever or respiratory symptoms subject to clinical assessment of physician in charge.

March 2

Government bureaus/departments gradually resumed more public services with the implementation of targeted measures to reduce social contact and infection control measures.

March 4

Hong Kong residents returning to Hong Kong from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan  completed quarantine by batches. Nine of them were confirmed to be infected after returning to Hong Kong.

March 4-5

Sending four chartered flights to bring back a total of 469 Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province to Hong Kong, and arranging them to stay in a quarantine centre.

March 8

Expanding the health declaration arrangements at the Hong Kong International Airport from inbound flights from the Mainland to all flights arriving in Hong Kong.

March 9

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) extended the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme to cover all private clinics and hospitals.

March 10

Issuing the Red OTA on some regions in France, Germany, Japan and Spain as well as on the entire country of Italy, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above regions or countries in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents)
starting from March 14.

March 13

Issuing the Red OTA on 26 European countries in the Schengen Area, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above countries in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 17.

March 13

Announcing adjustments to the health quarantine arrangements on inbound travellers from overseas to reserve more quarantine facilities for the close contacts of confirmed cases.

March 14

Following three confirmed cases in Heng Tai House, Fu Heng Estate in Tai Po, some residents had to be evacuated to quarantine centres. Four environmental samples tested positive later.

March 15

Issuing the Red OTA on Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States, and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above countries or to Egypt where the Red OTA remains in force in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 19.

March 17

Issuing the Red OTA on all overseas countries/territories and issuing quarantine orders to people arriving in Hong Kong who have been to the above countries/regions in the past 14 days (regardless of whether they are Hong Kong residents) starting from March 19.

19 March

Hong Kong residents returning to Hong Kong from Hubei Province completed quarantine by batches. Only one of them was confirmed to be infected.

March 19

The CHP extended the Enhanced Laboratory Surveillance Programme to cover inbound travellers under quarantine from overseas. Priority was accorded to persons under quarantine aged 65 or above or persons under quarantine residing with elderly aged 65 or above.

March 19

To handle a large number of people arriving in Hong Kong via the Hong Kong International Airport, the HA established test centres at the AsiaWorld-Expo and North Lantau Hospital. People arriving in Hong Kong with upper respiratory symptoms will undergo virus tests and wait for the laboratory results there. Subject to the test results, they will be admitted to hospital or subject to home quarantine.

March 20

The Immigration Department closely monitored anti-epidemic measures implemented by the Moroccan authorities and rendered assistance to Hong Kong residents stranded in the country.

March 21

Announcing enhanced measures to control the disease, which include:

The HA and the DH will fully utilise all resources for testing and enhance testing for people returning to Hong Kong from overseas; Resuming the special work arrangements for civil servants implemented before March 2 to provide limited-scale public services; Deferring the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examination; Stepping up enforcement actions against contravention of quarantine orders; Strengthening disease prevention at residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities.

March 21

Announcing adjustments to the health quarantine arrangements on people arriving in Hong Kong from Hubei Province (except Wuhan) to reserve more quarantine facilities for the close contacts of confirmed cases.

March 23

Announcing more anti-epidemic measures, which include:

Starting from March 25, all non-Hong Kong residents coming from overseas countries and regions by plane will be denied entry to Hong Kong; non-Hong Kong residents coming from the Mainland, Macau and Taiwan will be denied entry to Hong Kong if they have been to any overseas countries and regions in the past 14 days; all transit services at Hong Kong International Airport will be suspended; and all travellers coming from Macau and Taiwan will be subject to compulsory quarantine; Stepping up virus testing for arriving persons from the United Kingdom, other countries in Europe and the United States; Taking stringent enforcement actions to combat breaches of quarantine orders; Strengthening social distancing measures, including a proposal to introduce legislation to temporarily prohibit the sale and supply of alcoholic drinks by restaurants, bars and clubs.

March 24

Stepping up enforcement against breaches of quarantine orders and appealing to the public to make use of the “e-Report Room” online platform to report breaches.

March 25

Sending the second batch of chartered flights to take Hong Kong residents stranded in Hubei Province back to Hong Kong.

 

We have adhered to the people-oriented principle throughout our anti-epidemic work and have proactively supported Hong Kong people affected by the epidemic. For example, we overcame all kinds of challenges to bring back Hong Kong people stranded in Hubei Province by batches; we sent a special team comprising immigration officers and healthcare officers to take care of the Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers who stayed in Japan to receive medical treatment; and we provided support to Hong Kong residents who were stranded in Morocco and Peru. We also exercised discretion to extend the stay of carers on two-way permit in Hong Kong and prioritised the handling of Speedpost items containing surgical masks. We co-operated with the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions to deliver prescription medications to Hong Kong people in the Mainland and introduced a flexible arrangement to extend the validity period of the contracts of foreign domestic helpers, etc.

 

We have also continued to uphold the principle of operating in an open and transparent manner in our anti-epidemic efforts. Through the daily press conferences by the CHP and the HA, media sessions by the Chief Executive and secretaries of departments and directors of bureaus, the designated website “coronavirus.gov.hk”, the Facebook pages of the CHP and “Tamar Talk”, the Interactive Map Dashboard, social media and more, we provide the public with the latest information on the disease and clarify rumours. The Interactive Map Dashboard is very popular and has attracted about 16 million views since its launch.

 

Fighting the virus together

 

In the face of the severe situation of the epidemic, I would like to once again thank all the healthcare and government anti-epidemic officers (including auxiliary forces, retired civil servants and volunteers) who fight the disease at the forefront. I would like to also thank the four professors on the expert advisory panel and the research and development teams of universities and innovation and technology companies for making suggestions on the prevention and control of the disease as well as our citizens who have put up with the inconvenience in their daily lives to safeguard Hong Kong. All of them are our anti-epidemic heroes. The governing team and I will stay committed to our duties, remain calm and stay vigilant in our fight against the disease.

 

To win the battle against the disease, the continuous support and co-operation of every Hong Kong citizen are of the utmost importance. We believe that a large number of Hong Kong citizens will continue to come back Hong Kong in the following weeks because of the worsening situation overseas and hence confirmed cases will inevitably continue to increase. The situation will be more severe and difficult to handle than any period in the past two months and may even lead to large-scale and a continuous outbreak in the community. This is a critical moment in the fight against the disease and also a moment for testing the resilience of Hong Kong people in the face of the epidemic.

 

Fighting the virus is a long battle and the process is arduous. It is not easy to stay at home for a long period of time without normal activities and social interactions, but it is definitely not the time to let our guard down, otherwise the hard efforts of Hong Kong citizens in the past two months will be undone and the consequences could be dire. I appeal to all members of the public to continue to fight the disease together. I have no doubt that as long as we stay united, work together and support each other, Hong Kong will finally win the battle against the disease.

 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam issued this article "Two Months into Our Fight, Continue to Stay Vigilant" on March 25.

On April 4, 1990, the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China was adopted by the Seventh National People’s Congress (NPC) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The Basic Law enshrines the basic policies of the PRC regarding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and provides a solid constitutional basis for the implementation of “one country, two systems”. Looking back, we must not forget the purpose and mission of the Basic Law.

 

The Basic Law clearly states that Hong Kong has been part of the territory of China since ancient times and is an inalienable part of the PRC. It is a Special Administrative Region enjoying a high degree of autonomy under the Central People’s Government. Upholding national unity and territorial integrity, maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, and taking account of history and realities, the “one country, two systems” principle was put forth by Mr Deng Xiaoping as a way to preserve the characteristics and strengths of Hong Kong as much as possible and to enable Hong Kong citizens to maintain their way of life.

 

In the 22 years since her return to the motherland, Hong Kong has weathered different challenges and, on the whole, the implementation of “one country, two systems” has been successful. Leveraging on our strengths in free market economy, rule of law, independent judiciary and the free flow of information and with our country’s strong support, Hong Kong has developed into an international financial, trade and transportation centre and attracted more than 9,000 overseas and Mainland companies to establish offices here, with many of them making Hong Kong as their regional headquarters in Asia-Pacific.

 

International financial centre

Article 109 of the Basic Law confirms Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre and stipulates that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall provide an appropriate economic and legal environment for the maintenance of such status. Specifically, under the Basic Law:

 

- The Hong Kong dollar is the legal tender of the HKSAR and the linked exchange rate system has been maintained. With the strong support of the Central Government, Hong Kong has been able to maintain financial stability even during turbulent times. Riding on our country’s reform and opening up, Hong Kong has also developed into the world’s largest offshore renminbi centre.

 

 - The free flow of capital is protected and has attracted a large number of foreign direct investment and companies using Hong Kong as an ideal platform for initial public offerings and fundraising. Over the past 10 years, Hong Kong has topped the annual global IPO rankings six times.

 

- Hong Kong maintains a simple and low tax system, which is key to Hong Kong’s success as an international financial, trading and business centre. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is free to implement tax measures according to policy needs under its independent tax system. Since I took office, I have put in place initiatives such as the two-tier profits tax system and tax deduction for research and development expenditure to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness.

 

Rule of law and independent judiciary

The Basic Law preserves and guarantees Hong Kong’s long-established and trusted common law system and allows the HKSAR to enjoy independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication. The rule of law and an independent judiciary, which are held dearly by Hong Kong people, are constitutionally protected. The Basic Law stipulates that judges shall be appointed by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of an independent commission; for the appointment of judges of the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) and the Chief Judge of the High Court, the Chief Executive shall obtain the endorsement of the Legislative Council and report such appointment to the Standing Committee of the NPC for the record. Last month, I accepted the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission to appoint the Honourable Justice Andrew Cheung, Permanent Judge of the CFA, to succeed The Honourable Chief Justice Geoffrey Ma who will retire next year.

 

The Basic Law also allows the CFA to draw on the experience of judges from other common law jurisdictions. Currently, 15 eminent judges from the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada are sitting on the CFA as non-permanent judges. Their participation shows that our rule of law and independent judiciary are well recognised.

 

Rights and freedoms of residents

The fundamental rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents are fully protected by the Basic Law. Under Chapter 3, Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication; freedom of association, of assembly, of procession and of demonstration; freedom of the person; freedom of communication; freedom of religious belief; freedom of choice of occupation; freedom to engage in academic research, literary and artistic creation, and other cultural activities; freedom of marriage and so forth. However, as pointed out by our courts in their judgments, freedom is not absolute; one should respect the rights and freedoms of other people and be subject to law when exercising such freedoms.

 

Developing external affairs

Hong Kong has always been a bridge between the East and the West. The Basic Law allows the HKSAR to maintain and develop relations with foreign states and regions and relevant international organisations in the appropriate fields, including economic, trade, financial and monetary, shipping, communications, tourism, cultural and sports fields on its own, using the name Hong Kong, China. The HKSAR has participated in the World Trade Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and many others in the name Hong Kong, China and has entered into hundreds of bilateral agreements with other countries, including Free Trade Agreements, Investment Promotion & Protection Agreements and Comprehensive Double Taxation Agreements. Hong Kong athletes can also represent Hong Kong in international competitions.

 

The implementation of “one country, two systems” fully demonstrates that it is the best institutional arrangement to maintain Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability. As a pioneering initiative, its application entails an evolving process and we have to effectively and fully apply this principle in order to maintain the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong, to meet the aspirations of our citizens and to meet the fundamental interests of our country. I encourage all Hong Kong citizens to learn more about the Basic Law, including the institutional safeguards, and the rights and duties of Hong Kong residents. In so doing, we should consider how best we can continue to leverage on Hong Kong’s advantages, allowing Hong Kong to advance with the country and enabling every Hong Kong resident to realise their goal.

 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam wrote this op-ed entitled The Basic Law - Best Safeguard for the Prosperity & Stability of Hong Kong on April 4.

The Science Museum is presenting the special Unlocking the Secrets - The Science of Conservation at The Palace Museum exhibition to tie in with the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City in 2020.

 

More than 100 artefacts from the Palace Museum collection are being showcased to highlight the application of science and technology in conservation.

 

They include bronzes, clocks, textiles, thangkas, wood furniture, lacquerware and inlaid works along with ceramics, calligraphy and hand-painted copies of ancient paintings.

 

The show also presents the Conservation Office’s work by showcasing intriguing restoration cases so that visitors can learn more about the work and skills of conservators as well as their mission to preserve Hong Kong’s heritage assets.

 

The Science Museum will launch a series of interactive family activities, including demonstrations and workshops conducted by Palace Museum conservators, guided tours featuring theatrical plays and storytelling, and visits to conservation laboratories.

 

Jointly presented by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department and the Palace Museum, the exhibition will run until March 18 next year.

 

Call 2732 3232 for enquiries.

The Leisure & Cultural Services Department launched a one-stop online resources centre today for the public to view or participate in multi-faceted leisure and cultural activities from the comfort of their homes.

 

The online resources centre offers demonstrations of home exercises as well as videos of exercise demonstrations and Healthy Exercise for All Campaign interactive games.

 

The information portal carries knowledge on the plants and animals at the Zoological & Botanical Gardens, old and valuable trees at the department's major parks and colourful Hong Kong Flower Show archives.

 

The Museum of Art and the Heritage Museum are collaborating with the Google Arts & Culture Project to showcase exhibits in a digital format.

 

There are also virtual exhibitions that explore previous fascinating collections at the History Museum and the Science Museum.

 

While extensive content from intangible cultural heritage and modern arts integrating into life from Oi! is also included.

 

The Hong Kong Public Libraries offers vast e-resources allowing people to explore fun reading at home.

 

On the performing arts front, digital content covers concert archives from the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra and Hong Kong Sinfonietta.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted business activity and supply chains across the globe, with numerous trade fairs and events around the world being postponed or cancelled, depriving many enterprises of business and marketing...

There is currently no information available.

The Les Arcs Co-Production village, running December 13-16 within the Les Arcs European Film Festival (Dec 13-20), will present 25 projects in development and a further 10 works-in-progress. Several of the projects chosen for this year’s event are Irish films and films with Irish producers’ backing.

The Lands Department will provide additional rental or fee concessions for tenants of short-term tenancies (STT) and waiver holders in accordance with the new round of support measures announced earlier this month.

     

The measures aim to strengthen support for enterprises in light of the challenges arising from the COVID-19 epidemic.

 

In accordance with the support measures launched in 2019 and those announced in the 2020-21 Budget, STTs and waivers for varying the terms of land grants for business and community uses under the department have been granted 50% rental or fee concession from October 2019 to September this year.

 

Under the new round of support measures, the 5,000 eligible STT tenants and waiver holders already enjoying the previous concession, such as catering facilities, shops, workshops, public fee-paying car parks, and welfare facilities, will see their rental or fee concession rate increase to 75% from April to September.

     

The 75% concession arrangement will be extended to businesses not covered previously, such as depots for public transport operators, public utilities, petrol filling stations, driving schools and advertising facilities, effective for the same period.

     

If these tenants and waiver holders are ordered to close or have chosen to close due to the Government’s orders or other restrictions for safeguarding public health under the relevant regulation, they may further apply to the department for full rental or fee concession for the duration of the closure.

 

The department will issue written notifications to eligible STT tenants and waiver holders on the above concession measures and their implementation details.           

 

Additionally, to help development projects with construction progress affected by the epidemic, the department will offer extensions of the Building Covenant period at nil premium for up to six months for leases with the covenant not yet discharged as at April 8.

 

The department will issue a practice note and upload it onto its website by the end of the month to announce the application arrangements for lessees.

The projected private flat supply for the next three to four years is 95,000 units, 2,000 more than the previous estimate.

 

The Transport & Housing Bureau today said there were 10,000 unsold units in completed projects at the end of March.

 

There were 60,000 units under construction, excluding those pre-sold by developers, and 25,000 units from disposed sites where construction can start any time.

 

The number of flats under construction in the first quarter was 900, while the number of units completed for the period was 4,200.

 

Click here for details.

Banks and financial institutions taking part in providing mortgage loans for the Housing Authority Subsidised Sale Flats Scheme (SSFS) may offer a mortgage principal moratorium plan to the scheme’s mortgagors.

 

The authority today wrote to these institutions to confirm and agree that such a plan is applicable for SSFS flats.

 

Principal repayment may be deferred for a maximum 12-month period and the mortgage loan repayment period may be extended correspondingly by a maximum of 12 months.

 

The principal moratorium period may commence by December 31 this year at the latest.

 

The arrangement is applicable to the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Buy or Rent Option Scheme, the Tenants Purchase Scheme and the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme in the primary market and under the Secondary Market Scheme.

 

To encourage participating financial institutions to provide mortgage loans and better mortgage terms for SSFS flat purchasers, the authority provides a mortgage default guarantee for them.

 

It undertakes to meet the shortfall in repayment in the event of default by the borrowers under specified circumstances during the guarantee period.

 

Due to the requirements in the guarantee deed on the mortgage loan period and the monthly instalment amount, participating financial institutions may not be able to offer a mortgage principal moratorium plan to SSFS flat owners.

 

In light of the economic downturn arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, the authority confirmed today that a mortgage principal moratorium plan is applicable for SSFS flats.

 

The move will encourage participating financial institutions to offer such a plan to SSFS flat owners, reducing their burden of mortgage repayment.

The Buildings Department approved 13 building plans in February - four on Hong Kong Island, one in Kowloon and eight in the New Territories.

 

Of the approved plans, nine were for apartment and apartment-commercial developments, one was for commercial development, one was for factory and industrial developments, and two were for community services developments.

 

Consent was given for works to start on two building projects, which will provide 77,942 sq m of gross floor area for non-domestic use.

 

The department also issued 14 occupation permits - four on Hong Kong Island, one in Kowloon and nine in the New Territories.

 

Buildings certified for occupation have 149,306 sq m of gross floor area for domestic use involving 2,912 units, and 67,594 sq m for non-domestic use.

 

The declared cost of new buildings completed in the month was $3.7 billion.

The Development Bureau today announced that the Land Sharing Pilot Scheme will open for applications tomorrow to help unleash the development potential of qualified private land.

 

The private land must be with consolidated ownership that is outside specified environmentally sensitive areas and not covered by the Government's development studies.

 

In connection with the pilot scheme’s launch, the Chief Executive has appointed 10 members from a wide spectrum of sectors to a Panel of Advisors to offer independent opinions on the applications received and advise on the scheme's operation.

 

Chaired by Dr David Wong, the panel members will serve a term of 3.5 years starting May 1.

 

Secretary for Development Michael Wong said while government-led planning and land resumption remains the mainstream and continues to dominate its land creation agenda, the pilot scheme seeks to complement such efforts by tapping into market resources and efficiencies to boost both public and private housing in the short to medium term.

 

Under the scheme, the Government will facilitate infrastructural improvements that will enhance the development intensity of the private lots under application.

 

In return, the applicants are required to hand over part of the lots they own in the form of formed land that is capable of delivering at least 70% of the increased domestic gross floor area for public housing or Starter Homes developments intended by the Government.

 

Each project under the scheme should be capable of delivering an increased domestic gross floor area of no less than 50,000 sq m in total and at least 1,000 additional housing units.

 

The application period lasts for three years until May 5, 2023, subject to a cap of 150 hectares on the total area of private land to be approved.

 

The development chief added that the Government’s target is to convert the agricultural lots into spade-ready sites ready for housing construction within four to 6.5 years from the time applications are received.

The Government said it will continue to spare no effort in improving workers' benefits and protection and enhance occupational safety and health in various industries at a pace commensurate with Hong Kong's overall socio-economic development.

 

The Government made the statement today in response to the demands of different labour groups, noting that it would take into account both employees' interests and employers' abilities to afford the benefits, despite the severe blow dealt by the COVID-19 epidemic to the local economy.

 

"The seasonally adjusted unemployment and underemployment rates for January to March this year have soared to their highest levels in recent years. The labour market will continue to face significant pressure in the near term.

 

“The Government has rolled out relief measures of unprecedented scale, including the one-off measures in the 2020-21 Budget and two rounds of measures under the Anti-epidemic Fund (AEF) totalling $287.5 billion, with a view to preserving the vitality of the economy and relieving people's financial burden.

 

“The Government will launch as soon as possible the Employment Support Scheme under the second round of the AEF, with a total commitment of $81 billion, to provide time-limited financial support to employers to help them retain employees who will otherwise be made redundant.”

 

Moreover, the Government explained that it has earmarked $6 billion to create around 30,000 time-limited jobs in the public and private sectors in the coming two years for people with different skills and academic qualifications.

 

It emphasised that the Labour Department will raise the ceiling of on-the-job training allowance payable to employers under the Employment Programme for the Elderly & Middle-aged, the Youth Employment & Training Programme and the Work Orientation & Placement Scheme in the second half of this year.

 

It will also launch a pilot scheme to encourage eligible participants of these programmes to undergo and complete the training by offering a retention allowance.

 

On improvements to other labour benefits, the Government pointed out that it is working at full steam on the preparatory work to abolish the arrangement of 'offsetting' severance payments and long service payments with employers' mandatory contributions under the Mandatory Provident Fund System.

 

It stressed that it will strive to introduce the enabling bill into the Legislative Council by the end of this year, aiming to secure its passage by 2022.

 

Meanwhile, the Government introduced the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2019 into LegCo on January 8 this year. The bill, which proposes to extend statutory maternity leave by four weeks, is now being handled by the LegCo Panel on Manpower.

 

The Chief Executive announced on January 14 this year 10 new initiatives on improving people's livelihood, one of which is to increase progressively the number of statutory holidays so that it will be on par with that of general holidays.

 

The Government stated that it will work out the relevant proposal, invite the Labour Advisory Board to discuss, and will facilitate and support its work.

 

The Minimum Wage Commission is conducting a new round of review on the Statutory Minimum Wage rate and will submit a report on its recommendation to the Chief Executive in Council by end-October.

 

The Government added that it attaches great importance to employees' occupational safety and health.

 

It said the Labour Department has been adjusting its strategies of inspection and enforcement, publicity and promotion, education and training according to the occupational safety and health risk levels of different industries as well as taking sufficient precautionary measures to prevent accidents by driving employers and employees to work together.

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