kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
CE meets new Liaison Office Director
9.1.2020

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, met the new Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Luo Huining, at Government House today (January 9). Extending a warm welcome to Mr Luo on his assumption of the new post in Hong Kong, Mrs Lam said that during his visit to Hong Kong in the capacity as the Secretary of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee at the end of 2018, they had very good exchanges and she was impressed by his care for Hong Kong. She said that although Mr Luo has just taken up the post, he is familiar with the situations in Hong Kong. She expressed the hope that communication and co-operation between them would be enhanced down the road to promote various areas of work involving the Mainland and Hong Kong. During the meeting, Mrs Lam briefed Mr Luo on the work of the HKSAR Government in various aspects over the past two years as well as the social unrest arising from the legislative amendment exercise since June last year. Both parties considered that Hong Kong had experienced the most challenging situation since Hong Kong's return to the motherland during the past seven months, affecting seriously all aspects of society, and that restoring social order as soon as possible is the common aspiration of the general public. Mrs Lam said the HKSAR Government will, in accordance with the Basic Law and the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, spare no effort to curb violence and uphold the rule of law in order to find a way out of the current impasse. Both parties are confident that under the long-standing and strong support of the Central Government, Hong Kong will be able to relaunch itself and open a new page, as well as better integrate into the overall development of the nation and achieve long-term prosperity and stability. Mrs Lam also said in the meeting that as the severe economic situation may affect the livelihood of the general public, especially the grass roots, the HKSAR Government will proactively study the launch of relief measures to help the people. Ends/Thursday, January 9, 2020 Issued at HKT 20:52 NNNN
CE visits URA preservation-revitalisation and redevelopment projects
9.1.2020

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited the Urban Renewal Authority (URA)'s preservation-revitalisation project 618 Shanghai Street in Mong Kok and the Peel Street/Graham Street Development Scheme project in Central this morning (January 9) to learn more about their latest developments. Accompanied by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, and the Managing Director of the URA, Mr Wai Chi-sing, Mrs Lam first visited the preservation-revitalisation project 618 Shanghai Street in Mong Kok involving a cluster of tenement buildings. The 14 pre-war and post-war tenement buildings have been turned into commercial and cultural spaces after their preservation and revitalisation. They are managed and operated by the URA and opened in the end of December last year. Mrs Lam was briefed by officers of the URA on the project background and ways to preserve the architectural features of old tenement buildings while offering new life and purposes for historical buildings and reintegrating them into the community. She then visited a food court operated by a social enterprise in the buildings and listened to the founder's introduction on how his enterprise provides training and job opportunities for the socially disadvantaged and persons with disabilities. She also chatted with the staff members there. Praising the work of the social enterprise, Mrs Lam said she hoped that all of its members will continue to work hard to unleash the potential of the socially disadvantaged and persons with disabilities and to boost their confidence and employability. Mrs Lam then visited the Peel Street/Graham Street Development Scheme project in Central to view the Graham Market after its redevelopment. She also spoke with shopkeepers to learn about their business conditions. She expressed appreciation to the URA for its provision of a market block in which some shops are rented out to traditional industries in the district or old brands with district characteristics in order to preserve the allure of the open-air market in Graham Street. Mrs Lam said the URA has spared no effort in urban renewal. It has also gained plenty of successful experience in heritage conservation as well as participated proactively in building rehabilitation in recent years. She added that the URA will be given more new missions, pointing out that she has invited the URA to assist in redeveloping sites under the Civil Servants' Co-operative Building Society Scheme in her Policy Address in 2018. In addition, she also entrusted the URA in her Policy Address in 2019 to proactively provide more Starter Homes or other types of subsidised sale flats. She expressed the hope that the Government and the URA will join hands to improve the living environment of the public. Ends/Thursday, January 9, 2020 Issued at HKT 20:35 NNNN
CE visits Food and Environmental Hygiene Department contract cleaning workers
8.1.2020

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)'s contract cleaning workers working in Mong Kok today (January 8), expressing her gratitude for their hard work and relentless efforts for Hong Kong. Mrs Lam met and spoke with about 50 cleaning workers to learn more about their working conditions. Presenting them with cookies, Mrs Lam thanked them for their efforts during the recent months when violent clashes broke out frequently in Mong Kok. She noted that they had cleared barricades and objects on roads through the night so that basic cleaning work could be completed before large numbers of members of the public went out in the morning. In addition, in response to the cluster of pneumonia cases detected in Wuhan, Mrs Lam said the Government is stepping up its cleaning work for public facilities to safeguard public health and appealed for assistance by the cleaning workers. Mrs Lam said the Government attaches great importance to the well-being of grass-roots workers, and pointed out that she announced in her Policy Address in 2018 improvement measures for the tendering of government service contracts to enhance protection for the rights and interests of outsourced non-skilled employees. The new measures include increasing the technical weighting in marking schemes and raising the weighting for wage levels in technical assessment. Tens of thousands of workers can also enjoy three new benefits, namely entitlement to a 6 per cent contractual gratuity after working for 12 consecutive months, statutory holiday pay upon employment for one month and remuneration at 1.5 times the wage for work performed when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is in force. Mrs Lam said, "the new measures were scheduled to come into effect in April in 2019 following their announcement in 2018, but taking into account the opinions of people concerned about labour welfare, I decided to extend the measures to cover contracts tendered out between October 10, 2018, when the Policy Address was announced, and March 31, 2019, so that nearly 10 000 more workers could also benefit." Mrs Lam said she was pleased to note that since the implementation of the new measures, the hourly rates for government outsourced contract workers have substantially increased. For example, the monthly salary of the FEHD's cleaning workers has increased by 22 per cent when compared to the wage level at the end of 2018. The Government will pay attention to the implementation of the new measures and will continue to explore further room for improvement. Ends/Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Issued at HKT 21:03 NNNN
CE&apos;s statement on appointment of Liaison Office Director
4.1.2020

On the State Council's appointment of Mr Luo Huining as the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, issued the following statement today (January 4): The HKSAR Government and I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr Luo Huining on his assumption of the new post. Mr Luo led a delegation to Hong Kong in his capacity as the Secretary of the CPC Shanxi Provincial Committee at the end of the year before last year. I had good exchanges with him on co-operation between Shanxi and Hong Kong and was impressed by his care for Hong Kong. I have no doubt that under the leadership of Mr Luo, the Liaison Office will continue to work together with the HKSAR Government to fully implement the Basic Law and "One Country, Two Systems" for Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, and promote the integration of Hong Kong into the overall development of the nation and the positive development of the relationship between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The HKSAR Government and I are very grateful for the contribution by Mr Wang Zhimin for upholding "One Country, Two Systems" and supporting the work of the HKSAR Government in accordance with the law in the last two years or so. In particular during the unprecedented social unrest in Hong Kong in the past seven months, he led the Liaison Office in providing staunch support for the HKSAR Government to curb violence and uphold the rule of law, giving us a lot of confidence and encouragement. I had been collaborating with Mr Wang on affairs between the HKSAR and the Mainland in my various capacities in the Government since 2006 and was deeply impressed by his love of Hong Kong, in particular his commitment in and support for work on youth development. I would like to take this opportunity to express my respect and sincere gratitude to him. Ends/Saturday, January 4, 2020 Issued at HKT 21:51 NNNN
CE visits Police Headquarters
31.12.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (December 31) visited the Police Headquarters in Wan Chai to learn more about police logistics support services and the work of the Police Public Relations Branch (PPRB). Accompanied by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Tang Ping-keung, Mrs Lam was briefed on the catering arrangements for frontline officers on duty. She also encouraged them and thanked the officers for discharging their duties with professionalism to maintain law and order in Hong Kong under extremely severe conditions during the past year. In particular, she expressed her gratitude to the volunteers for their steady support for the force during the past months. Mrs Lam, accompanied by the acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Management), Ms Edwina Lau, then received a briefing on physical and psychological health support services provided by the force to frontline officers. Frontline police officers have had to work long hours in recent months. Some have been injured on duty, while some officers’ family members have fallen victim to doxxing. Noting that Police Welfare Officers provide support to those officers to help in medical, emotional and parenting areas, Mrs Lam said relevant government departments will spare no effort to provide assistance. She added that the actions of Police Welfare Officers can help frontline officers relieve stress. Later, Mrs Lam visited the PPRB to learn more about the continual strengthening of its capability to disseminate information in recent months. This includes releasing messages more proactively and on more platforms, with a view to clarifying fake news and unfounded allegations against the Police more quickly and accurately. She also lauded the hard work of the officers who host press conferences regularly to update the public on the latest situation, and the effectiveness of their work. Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong has been experiencing an unprecedented difficult situation in which the extremely violent and vandalistic acts by a handful of rioters had increased the workload and pressure of police officers. This has occurred while a large volume of online fabricated, biased and slanderous remarks against the force has also increased tensions in the relationship between the Police and citizens. Nevertheless, she believed that police officers will continue to stand fast in their posts, enforce the laws without fear or favour and discharge their duties in the spirit of “Serving Hong Kong with honour, duty and loyalty” to protect its citizens. She stressed that the entire government team will continue to support the force to enable society to return to normal as soon as possible. Ends/Tuesday, December 31, 2019 Issued at HKT 22:37 NNNN
Appointments to Council of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
31.12.2019

The Chief Executive has re-appointed Professor Stephen Chow Chun-kay as Chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). The Chief Executive has also appointed Dr Anthony Chow Wing-kin as Deputy Chairman and re-appointed Ms Yvonne Shing Mo-han as Treasurer of the HKAPA Council. The above appointments are made for a period of two years from January 1, 2020. The Chief Executive has also appointed the following persons as members of the Council of the HKAPA for a period of two years from January 1, 2020: Ms Maisy Ho Chiu-ha (re-appointed) Mrs Christine Ip Yeung See-ming Mr Leon Ko Sai-tseung (re-appointed) Ms Anna Kwong Sum-yee (re-appointed) Ms Sheryl Lee Ming-chi Ms Cynthia Liu Chiu-fun Professor Clarence Mak Wai-chu Mr Douglas So Cheung-tak (re-appointed) Mr Alvin Yiu Cheuk-man Secretary for Home Affairs or his representative (re-appointed) Secretary for Education or his representative (re-appointed) Serving members of the Council include: Mrs Helen Chan Mr Nick Ho Lik-ko Mr Charles Yang Chuen-liang Director of the HKAPA (ex-officio) The above appointments will be published in the Government Gazette on January 3, 2020. Ends/Tuesday, December 31, 2019 Issued at HKT 15:30 NNNN
Appointments to Hong Kong Arts Development Council
31.12.2019

The Government today (December 31) announced that the Chief Executive has appointed Dr Wilfred Wong Ying-wai as Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) for a period of one year from January 1, 2020. The Chief Executive has also appointed Dr Frankie Yeung Wai-shing as Vice-chairman of the HKADC for a period of three years from January 1, 2020. The Chief Executive has appointed the following persons as members of the Council for a period of three years from January 1, 2020: Mr Chris Chan Kam-shing* Ms Sylvia Chan May-kuen Mr Sunny Chan Wing-san* Ms Winnie Chiu Wing-kwan Mr Chow Pok-yin* Mr Kenneth Fok Kai-kong Mr Andy Hei Kao-chiang Mr Kwong Wai-lap* Ms Lam Lit-kwan Ms Lau Wai-ming* Mr Lee Chun-leung* Dr Lo Wai-luk* Dr Johnny Ng Kit-chong Mr Ng Sui-wan (Ng Yu) Mr Pong Kin-yee Professor Poon Wai-sum Mr Patrick Tong Hing-chi Mr Wu Chun-him* Mr Yan Pat-to* Mr Vigo Yau Ah-kwai Mr Daniel Yeung Chun-kong* Mr Paul Yeung Kwok-leung *Representatives returned by the arts sector in the 2019 nomination exercise. The following three government representatives are ex-officio members of the HKADC: Secretary for Home Affairs or his representative Permanent Secretary for Education or his representative Director of Leisure and Cultural Services or his representative The above appointments will be published in the Government Gazette on January 3, 2020. The HKADC is a statutory body established in 1995 to promote and support the development of the arts in Hong Kong. Ends/Tuesday, December 31, 2019 Issued at HKT 15:30 NNNN
Substantive hearing of CoI into Construction Works at and near Hung Hom Station Extension under Shatin to Central Link Project resumes on January 2, 2020
31.12.2019

The following is issued on behalf of the Commission of Inquiry into the Construction Works at and near the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project: The Commission of Inquiry into the Construction Works at and near the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project will resume its substantive hearing on Thursday (January 2) at the hearing room on the first floor of the former Tsuen Wan Law Courts Building (Courts Building), 70 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories. The substantive hearing shall, subject to any adjournments that the Commission may consider necessary from time to time, continue until mid-February 2020. Upon approval of a further extension of time by the Chief Executive in Council on September 10, 2019, the Commission will submit a final report on its findings and recommendations to the Chief Executive on or before March 31, 2020. The Commission plans to finish all expert evidence and, if necessary, further factual evidence, as well as all closing submissions by mid-February 2020. Unless otherwise directed by the Commission, the substantive hearing will be held from 10am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 5pm on weekdays. The Commission may consider holding the substantive hearing on Saturdays during the said period if necessary. The substantive hearing will be open to the public, and live video/audio broadcasts of the proceedings will be provided at the hearing transmission gallery and the hall area next to the hearing room. No photography or audio/video recordings are allowed inside the hearing room, hearing transmission galley, hall area and other areas within the Courts Building. Ends/Tuesday, December 31, 2019 Issued at HKT 16:05 NNNN
CE visits revamped Hong Kong Museum of Art
27.12.2019

The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (December 27) visited the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) in Tsim Sha Tsui, which had undergone a facelift and was reopened to the public at the end of last month. Mrs Lam reviewed the architectural features and new facilities. Having been closed since August 2015 for a major expansion and renovation, the HKMoA reopened on November 30. Adopting a modern architectural design, the Architectural Services Department has introduced a number of new features to the HKMoA. Together with the enhanced connection between the Art Square in Salisbury Garden and the outdoor Art Corridor, the museum is a prominent attraction on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. After expansion, the total exhibition area has increased by about 40 per cent and the number of galleries has increased from seven to 12, including a two-storey gallery allowing the display of large-sized artworks. Mrs Lam toured four of the 11 current exhibitions, namely "Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum", "From Dung Basket to Dining Cart: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Wu Guanzhong" and "A Pleasure Shared: Selected Works from the Chih Lo Lou Collection", which showcase the cultural legacy, and "Classics Remix: The Hong Kong Viewpoint", displaying Hong Kong's art lineage. Mrs Lam said that she was particularly impressed by the exhibitions of the works of Mr Wu Guanzhong and the Chih Lo Lou collection, as the two donation ceremonies of the art treasures were hosted by her at Government House last year. She was very pleased to see the official establishment of a presence for these world-class art collections in the HKMoA in a long-term exhibition for appreciation by local and overseas visitors. Mrs Lam said she was also pleased to know that the donors of the art works, family members of Mr Wu and Mr Ho Iu-kwong, had visited the exhibitions and were satisfied with the arrangements. Looking forward to the commissioning of the M+ Museum and the Hong Kong Palace Museum in the West Kowloon Cultural District, Mrs Lam said that the two world-class museums and the HKMoA will stand as unique landmarks for culture, arts and tourism on the Victoria Harbour waterfront, thus raising the level of Hong Kong's art and culture to a higher level. Ends/Friday, December 27, 2019 Issued at HKT 19:42 NNNN
Appointment of Chairman of Council of Lingnan University
27.12.2019

The Government announced today (December 27) that the Chief Executive had appointed Mr Andrew Yao as Chairman of the Council of the Lingnan University (LU) for a term of three years with effect from January 1, 2020. The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, welcomed Mr Yao's appointment as the LU Council Chairman. "Mr Yao is dedicated to public service and has in particular contributed significantly to the higher education sector. He has been the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Hong Kong Baptist University and is a former member of the LU Council, the Court of University of Hong Kong, and the Steering Committee on the Hong Kong Scholarship for Excellence Scheme. With his distinguished leadership and wealth of experience in public service, I am confident that Mr Yao will be able to lead the LU in scaling new heights in the years to come," he said. Mr Yeung also expressed his gratitude to Mr Simon Ip, the Deputy Chairman of the LU Council, for his service as Acting Chairman since Mr Rex Auyeung's departure in October 2019. He said, "Over the past three months, Mr Ip has led the LU Council, in his capacity as Acting Chairman, and ensured the smooth operation and steady development of the University. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mr Ip." ​ Mr Ip will cease to be Acting Chairman of the LU Council, upon the commencement of Mr Yao's appointment on January 1, 2020. Ends/Friday, December 27, 2019 Issued at HKT 10:15 NNNN
Appointments to Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee
24.12.2019

The Government announced today (December 24) that the Chief Executive has appointed Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung, Mr Chow Chung-kong, Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong, Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi and Dr Ng Chau-pei as non-official members of the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee. The Chief Executive has also re-appointed Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Miss Elsie Leung Oi-sie and Mr Lau Chin-shek as non-official members of the Selection Committee. "All members will serve for a one-year term, starting from January 1 to December 31, 2020," a Government spokesman said. Professor Arthur Li Kwok-cheung, Mrs Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, Mr Joseph Yam Chi-kwong and Mr Cheng Yiu-tong, serving members of the Selection Committee, will retire on December 31, 2019. "We wish to express our gratitude to Professor Li, Mrs Law, Mr Yam and Mr Cheng for their invaluable advice rendered to the Selection Committee during their term of office," the spokesman said. The Selection Committee is tasked to consider nominations for various honours as well as for the appointment of Non-official Justices of the Peace (JPs) and make recommendations to the Chief Executive. Honours and awards are awarded to individuals in recognition of their significant contribution to Hong Kong or dedicated public and community service. The appointment of JPs is governed by the Justices of the Peace Ordinance (Cap. 510). JPs are required to perform certain functions, including visiting custodial institutions or detention centres to ensure that such facilities are effectively managed and that no inmate is unfairly treated or deprived of his or her rights. The annual Honours List and the list of new JP appointments are normally published in the Government Gazette on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (July 1). The Selection Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Other official members include the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office. The Selection Committee's full membership for the new term is as follows: Chairman ----------- Chief Secretary for Administration Non-official Members ------------------------ Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung Mr Chow Chung-kong Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee Miss Elsie Leung Oi-sie Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi Dr Ng Chau-pei Mr Lau Chin-shek Official Members ------------------- Financial Secretary Secretary for Home Affairs Chairman, Public Service Commission Director, Chief Executive's Office Ends/Tuesday, December 24, 2019 Issued at HKT 14:00 NNNN