kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
Student interns equip themselves for the future by accumulating experience (with photos)
23.4.2021

Students of the Shine Skills Centre of the Vocational Training Council who participated in a government internship scheme this year have served their internships at various government departments for eight weeks, and today (April 23) is the last day of their internships. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, met with students who were assigned to the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) yesterday (April 22) to learn about their internship experience, and encouraged them to continue to equip themselves for the future. A total of 35 students from the Shine Skills Centre participating in the scheme were assigned to 23 government bureaux and departments for around eight weeks of internships. Among them, upon completion of their internships, Mr Yan Yuk-wang and Mr Wong Ka-chun started missing the days of their internships. They said they appreciated the guidance and support from their mentors while being able to meet with many colleagues. Mr Yan is taking the course of Programme Assistant Practice at the Shine Skills Centre. He was attached to the Training and Development Section of the General Grades Office of the CSB, where he mainly assisted in preparing programmes and course materials. He said that the precious internship enabled him to accumulate practical experience and understand his interests more. Mr Wong was deployed to the Official Languages Division, where he mainly assisted in handling clerical work and classification of files. Mr Wong said that the internship had given him an opportunity to experience a real work environment for the first time and provided him with opportunities to learn to communicate and get along with others, helping him to integrate with society in the future. "It is a valuable opportunity to have an internship at a government department. I believe the students will appreciate that internship is also a kind of training. I hope they will share their experience with other students taking part in the scheme," Mr Nip said. Mr Nip was pleased to know that other than the students deployed to the CSB, students deployed to other bureaux and departments also made efforts in gaining new knowledge and worked actively throughout their internships. Their good conduct and work performance have been highly commended by their colleagues of participating departments and mentors. The CSB launched the internship scheme in 2016 to enable students with special education needs to have internship opportunities in the Government and gain practical work experience, as well as to allow civil service colleagues to better appreciate their talents and potential. Mr Nip said that the internship scheme assigned students to take up diverse jobs having regard to their aptitudes and interests, such as graphic design, editing and processing databases, arranging course materials, and event co-ordination and support, to enable students to develop their strengths. He expressed the belief that the two-month work experience would help students orient their future development as well as cultivate their personal growth.
Talk launched by CSB to enhance civil servants' awareness of safeguarding national security
12.4.2021

April 15 this year marks the first National Security Education Day after the implementation of The Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (NSL). The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) has launched a video talk on the NSL to strengthen civil servants' awareness towards safeguarding national security. The talk is delivered by the Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Deng Zhonghua, and covers the necessity, urgency and legitimacy of the enactment of the NSL, the legislative intent and purpose of the NSL, as well as major institutional designs under the NSL. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, sent an email to Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department today (April 12) to encourage civil service colleagues to watch the talk, with a view to enabling them to have a more thorough understanding of the NSL. In addition, bureaux and departments will make arrangements for civil servants reaching Master Pay Scale Point 14 or above, or equivalent, and joining the Government on or after July 1, 2018 to view the talk as part of the induction training. "The civil service is the backbone of the HKSAR Government. I expect all civil servant colleagues, particularly the new recruits, to have a correct understanding of the NSL and an enhanced awareness of safeguarding national security, and to act in accord fully with the HKSAR Government in discharging its duty of safeguarding national security," he said.
Opening remarks by SCS at LegCo Finance Committee special meeting
12.4.2021

Following is the English translation of the opening remarks by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, at the special meeting of the Legislative Council Finance Committee today (April 12): Chairman and Members, Among the matters related to the civil service in the 2021-22 Draft Estimates of Expenditure, I would like to focus my introduction on three items. The first item is the civil service establishment. It is of utmost importance to maintain the sustainability of public finance amidst the economic downturn. We will have zero growth in the civil service establishment in 2021-22 in order to contain the growth in establishment expenditure. We have encouraged bureaux and departments to enhance effectiveness and efficiency through re-prioritisation, internal redeployment and streamlining of work processes, so that the workload can be coped with even without an increase in the civil service establishment. The second item is on the creation of time-limited jobs under the Anti-epidemic Fund. To relieve the worsening unemployment situation due to the epidemic and the anti-epidemic measures, the Government has earmarked $6.6 billion under the Anti-epidemic Fund last year to create 30 000 time-limited jobs in the public and private sectors within two years for people of different skill sets and academic qualifications. The Civil Service Bureau is co-ordinating the relevant work. As at the end of March 2021, around 31 000 jobs had been created, with half of the jobs being created in the Government and the other half in the non-governmental sector. Among the jobs already created, over 20 000 jobs have been filled while the recruitment for the remaining 11 000 jobs is in progress or will commence shortly. In view of the persistently high unemployment rate, the Government announced in the 2021-22 Budget to further earmark $6.6 billion to create an additional 30 000 time-limited jobs. Relevant government departments will liaise with the non-governmental organisations or relevant associations under their purview to formulate details of the additional jobs. The third item is about financial provisions. In the 2021-22 Draft Estimates of Expenditure, we have reserved over $2,700 million for the Government, as a good employer, to continuously improve the medical and dental services for civil service eligible persons (including pensioners). Over $1,050 million out of the said provision is for providing medical and dental services at Families Clinics and government dental clinics. Apart from meeting the operating expenses of the clinics, the provision will also be used for strengthening manpower support and setting up an additional specialised dental surgery. Also, we have reserved $1,660 million for the payment and reimbursement of medical fees and hospital charges, to meet expenses on reimbursement of medical fees, which are not entirely predictable. Chairman, this is the end of my introduction. I would welcome questions from Members.
Elite athletes get vaccinated against COVID-19 (with photos)
8.4.2021

The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, together with the Chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), Dr Lam Tai-fai, visited the HKSI today (April 8) to view the administering of a COVID-19 vaccine for athletes and coaches and to give encouragement to them. At the invitation of the HKSI, the Government has arranged Sinovac and BioNTech vaccinations for full-time athletes, coaches and relevant personnel of the HKSI since late March. "Athletes often need to participate in overseas training and competitions. However, the overseas situation of the COVID-19 outbreak has remained serious. Three local karatedo athletes were confirmed as being infected with the virus last year. Therefore, it is very important for athletes to get vaccinated. Having discussed with the HKSI Chairman, we made this special vaccination arrangement for athletes," Mr Nip said. "Getting vaccinated can protect the health of athletes, enabling them to concentrate on their training and competitions. I hope they will strive for good results for Hong Kong and for themselves in upcoming international competitions. "Many vaccine recipients today are elite athletes whose physical fitness and health conditions are better than those of ordinary people, and yet they fully understand the advantages of getting vaccinated. They show us that even young and healthy people should also get vaccinated against COVID-19. Members of the public should grasp the opportunity and act immediately to make appointments for vaccination." Mr Nip expressed his gratitude to the medical team of the Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) at the CUHK Medical Centre for administering the BioNTech vaccine for athletes today, as well as the medical team of the CVC at Yuen Wo Road Sports Centre for administering the Sinovac vaccine for athletes on March 25. At present, people aged 30 or above and people belonging to the priority groups can make reservations to get vaccinated. People belonging to the priority groups can make reservations through the online booking system on the designated website of the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme ( www.covidvaccine.gov.hk ) for receiving vaccines at the CVCs and the 18 general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority. They can also make appointments for vaccination with private doctors or clinics participating in the programme. Members of the public can search for information about all vaccination venues through the GeoInfo Map ( www.map.gov.hk/gm/map/s/m/communityvaccinationservicesofcovid-19?lg=en ) and the Interactive Map Dashboard of COVID-19 ( chp-dashboard.geodata.gov.hk/covid-19/en.html ) on the designated website.
Comirnaty vaccine arrives in Hong Kong (with photos/video)
27.2.2021

The first batch of 1 million doses of the Comirnaty vaccine, jointly developed by Fosun Pharma and BioNTech, will be delivered to Hong Kong by two flights from Germany. A total of 585 000 doses of the vaccine has arrived in Hong Kong today (February 27) and the remaining doses will be transported to Hong Kong in early March. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, and the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, went to the airport today to inspect the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine in Hong Kong. After the arrival of the Comirnaty vaccine, staff carried out stringent checking and inspection of the vaccine to ensure that it complies with the product specifications and that the transportation process follows the relevant cold-chain requirements. As the vaccine has to be stored in a freezer at a temperature of -70 degrees Celsius, the Government has made appropriate arrangements, including placing the vaccines in designated storage facility and keeping all the vaccines in validated freezers to ensure the proper storage condition of the vaccines in accordance with the temperature indicated by the drug manufacturer. A Government spokesman said, "Following the arrival of the Comirnaty vaccine, we will open the online booking system next week for the public to make appointments to receive the Comirnaty vaccine. Detailed arrangements will be announced at a suitable time. "As the Comirnaty vaccine has stringent requirements for cold chain management and requires proper thawing procedures, to ensure the quality of the vaccines and that the vaccination procedures adhere to requirements, the Comirnaty vaccine will be administered at the Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs). The seven CVCs operated by the Hospital Authority will open first while other CVCs will come into operation gradually." At present, the COVID-19 vaccines purchased in advance by the Government are the inactivated virus vaccine from Sinovac Biotech (Hong Kong) Limited, the nucleic acid vaccine from Fosun Pharma and BioNTech, and the viral vector vaccine from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. The purchase of vaccines from different vaccine technology platforms is aimed at diversifying risks and ensuring sufficient supplies of safe and efficacious vaccines for the whole of Hong Kong. Comirnaty vaccine received authorisation for emergency use in Hong Kong after the Advisory Panel on COVID-19 Vaccines reviewed its clinical data, the overseas authorisation obtained, and other information relevant to the safety, efficacy and quality of the COVID-19 vaccine. Members of the public may visit the designated website, www.covidvaccine.gov.hk , to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines and to make appointments for vaccination via the round-the-clock booking system.
COVID-19 Vaccination Programme officially launched (with photos/videos)
26.2.2021

The COVID-19 Vaccination Programme was officially launched today (February 26), with people belonging to the priority groups who have made appointments receiving the Sinovac vaccine at five Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and 18 general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority (HA). The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, and the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, inspected the operation of the CVCs at the Exhibition Gallery of the Hong Kong Central Library and Kwun Chung Sports Centre. They said they were pleased to know that the centres have been operating smoothly. The public response to the programme has been enthusiastic. On the first day of online appointment booking, all booking slots for the first two weeks were taken up. The online booking system in the designated website ( www.covidvaccine.gov.hk ) will be open again for members of the public to make appointments starting from 9am on March 1 (Monday). Apart from the five CVCs and the 18 general out-patient clinics of the HA, members of the public can also make appointments to receive the Sinovac vaccine at three newly added CVCs, namely Tseung Kwan O Sports Centre, Osman Ramju Sadick Memorial Sports Centre in Kwai Tsing and Yau Oi Sports Centre in Tuen Mun. These centres will operate for a period of 56 days starting from March 6. The Government will review the situation including the supply of the vaccine and the public demand and make updated arrangements at suitable junctures. The locations of the eight CVCs are detailed in the Annex. Starting from 9am on March 1, members of the public can book the timeslots available up to March 26 through the online booking system for receiving the Sinovac vaccine at the eight CVCs and 18 general out-patient clinics of the HA. If necessary, people can seek assistance for making online bookings from about 120 post offices or the 180 estate management offices of the public housing estates they reside in. Apart from the CVCs, people belonging to the priority groups can also receive Sinovac vaccine at clinics of private doctors participating in the programme from mid next week. Information about these clinics will be uploaded to the designated website. The Government has procured three vaccines from different technology platforms with a total of 22.5 million doses, which would be sufficient for vaccinating all of the people in Hong Kong. The programme has also been implementing in a safe and orderly manner. Members of the public are encouraged to get vaccinated early so as to enable Hong Kong to successfully fight the epidemic as soon as possible. For information about the vaccination, please visit the designated website at www.covidvaccine.gov.hk .
SCS on vaccination programme 
20.2.2021

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (February 20): Reporter: Do we have to get to zero infection before we can communicate with the Mainland authorities about resuming the cross-boundary travel? And do we have the details as to how many doses will be available at the community centres because you said mainly the doses will be administered at private clinics? Secretary for the Civil Service: As regards the first question, it is important that we need discussions with the Mainland authorities. It is important to have an exchange of views and suggestions between the two sides because both of us are also very concerned about our respective epidemic situations, and the number one priority is to get our epidemic under control, having no further outbreak etc. We will continue our engagement with the Mainland authorities and we hope that, of course just like everyone, we want to see cross-boundary travel as early as possible. But we have to do our job well first. As regards the vaccination of Sinovac vaccine, the majority of the vaccination would be through private doctors and clinics. Before mid-March, more than 1 000 or up to 1 500 private clinics would be participating in the vaccination programme. So people who want to get vaccinated can contact their doctors and get vaccinated at their clinics. No central booking is required. They can also get the vaccination at the five community vaccination centres starting from next Friday, and the online booking will start on Tuesday. We would launch the vaccination programme gradually and in phases. At first, there may not be in full capacity because we want to get the work flow smooth, and healthcare workers engaged in the inoculation get used to it. And also the public know about the procedures including each and every step, the documents they need to bring, and the points to note after vaccination, etc. We will do it as quickly as possible but at the same time in an orderly and safe manner, and will encourage more people to get vaccinated. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
Smooth arrival of first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in Hong Kong (with video)
19.2.2021

The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines is delivered smoothly to Hong Kong this afternoon (February 19), marking the beginning of a new stage in Hong Kong's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic. The delivery also has a significant meaning in reducing the impact of the disease on the society, economy and people's livelihood. After the arrival of the first batch of 1 million doses of Sinovac vaccine, developed and produced by the Mainland, in Hong Kong, working staff immediately carried out stringent checking and inspection on the vaccines to ensure that they comply with the product specifications and their transportation process follows the cold-chain requirements. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, and the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, went to the Hong Kong International Airport to inspect the arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in Hong Kong. A Government spokesman said, "Vaccination has brought hope to the world and is the light for controlling the epidemic and restoring people's normal lives. Against the background of the huge demand for, and shortage of vaccines, worldwide, the prompt and smooth arrival of Sinovac vaccines to Hong Kong will help Hong Kong kick-start the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme so that people can receive vaccinations early to reduce the spread of the virus in the community. We are grateful for the support of the Central Government and the country's health authorities." People belonging to the priority groups for vaccination may make appointments online from next Tuesday (February 23) to receive the Sinovac vaccine at five Community Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and the general out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority starting from February 26. Private doctors participating in the vaccination programme will also administer the Sinovac vaccine for the public before mid-March. Members of the public may visit the designated website, www.covidvaccine.gov.hk , to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines and to make appointments for vaccinations via the round-the-clock booking system. Receiving a vaccination early can protect oneself and others, which will help Hong Kong win the battle against the epidemic as soon as possible.
SCS deeply saddened by passing of DDSW Mr Lam Ka-tai
30.1.2021

âThe Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, today (January 30) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the Deputy Director of Social Welfare, Mr Lam Ka-tai. Mr Nip said, "I have known Mr Lam for years and worked with him closely when I was the Director of Social Welfare. Mr Lam was a conscientious and dedicated colleague who showed empathy and had served with strong commitment in his more than 30 years of public service. He would always be a role model for civil servants. On behalf of the civil service, I offer my deepest condolences to his family. "The Civil Service Bureau will continue to liaise with the Social Welfare Department and make every effort to help the family during this sad and difficult period."
Transcript of remarks by SCS 
30.1.2021

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Patrick Nip, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (January 30): Reporter: So does it mean that civil servants have to give up their BN(O)s? Secretary for the Civil Service: About the BN(O) arrangements, the HKSAR Government has already made clear the new policy and arrangements, so we will follow up accordingly. As regards civil servants holding a foreign passport or all that, we just follow what it is set out in the Basic Law and the Hong Kong laws. Basically, the requirement is that they have to be Hong Kong permanent residents. Thank you. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)