Minimum wage report due Oct
The Minimum Wage Commission will submit to the Chief Executive in Council its recommendation report on the statutory minimum wage rate by the end of October at the latest.
In accordance with the Minimum Wage Ordinance, the Chief Executive has required the commission to submit its recommendation report on or before October 31.
Pursuant to the ordinance, the commission must maintain an appropriate balance between the objectives of forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs as well as the need to sustain the city's economic growth and competitiveness.
The commission is conducting a public consultation on the statutory minimum wage rate review.
Views can be sent by email before June 16.
Click here for the consultation details.
Academy funding deadline extended
The deadline for applications under the first round of funding from the Elder Academy Development Foundation in 2020 has been extended to June 30, the Labour & Welfare Bureau announced today.
The decision aims to provide sufficient time for primary and secondary school sponsoring bodies, post-secondary institutions and organisations, which may be affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, to prepare their submissions.
The fund’s committee accepts funding applications all year round and conducts vetting and disburses funding twice a year. The deadlines were generally May 31 and October 31 respectively.
The committee will continue to monitor the situation and announce arrangements for the next round in due course.
To tie in with the Elder Academy Scheme, the fund mainly provides funding for primary and secondary schools as well as post-secondary institutions to set up academies to provide learning opportunities in a school setting for the elderly.
Funding is also provided for activities that encourage elderly learning and inter-generational harmony.
Call 3655 5861 or 3655 5007 for enquiries.
P1 allocation results to be mailed
To reduce social contact in light of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Primary One Central Allocation results will be posted to parents.
Announcing the move today, the Education Bureau said it will deliver door-to-door the Primary One Registration Form with Central Allocation results to parents from June 3 to 4 through Hongkong Post’s Local CourierPost service.
If no one is present to receive the item at the time of delivery, a mail collection notification card will be left for parents to collect it from the designated post office from the afternoon of the following working day.
If parents have not received the Primary One Registration Form or the notification card by June 5, they can collect the registration form at the designated Collection Centre from June 6 to 7.
The Education Bureau will send letters to parents tomorrow to notify them of the arrangements.
Parents can get updates on the latest arrangements for the release of Central Allocation results and registration through the bureau’s press releases and messages posted on its website.
Call 2891 0088 for information on Primary One admission. For further enquiries, contact the bureau's School Places Allocation Section (Primary One Admission) on 2832 7700 or 2832 7740.
EdUHK council chair reappointed
The Chief Executive has reappointed Frederick Ma as Chairman of the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) Council from April 25 to December 31, the Government announced today.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung thanked Mr Ma for accepting the reappointment, saying that under his leadership, EdUHK continues to focus on educational research, development and innovation and promoting and supporting the development of teacher education in Hong Kong by nurturing outstanding and committed educators and professionals.
Mr Ma cannot accept a three-year term up until 2023 due to personal reasons. In the meantime, the Government will identify a suitable candidate for the chairmanship of the EdUHK Council.
Transport arrangements for DSE set
The Transport Department today said that public transport operators will resume and strengthen services to meet the travelling needs of candidates sitting for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination (DSE), which will start on April 24.
At the department's request, KMB, Citybus, New World First Bus and New Lantao Bus will resume bus routes serving school areas that were previously suspended, and will strengthen the services as appropriate to meet passenger demand.
For the Mass Transit Railway, except for the Airport Express and Disneyland Resort Line, heavy rail services will be gradually enhanced, starting from 6.15am to 6.30am during the exam period.
Light Rail and MTR bus services serving school areas will also be strengthened.
The department has reminded green minibus operators to closely monitor the transport demand and strengthen services as appropriate throughout the exam period.
Its Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre will closely monitor the traffic situation and co-ordinate with major public transport operators to adjust frequency flexibly and strengthen services when necessary.
The department appealed to all DSE candidates to familiarise themselves with public transport routes to be taken to examination centres in advance and allow sufficient travelling time.
Extra transport allowance set
Recipients of the Individual-based Work Incentive Transport Subsidy (I-WITS) will receive a one-off extra allowance after the passage of the Appropriation Bill 2020, the Government announced today.
The extra allowance was proposed in the 2020-21 Budget and would be disbursed one month after the bill’s passage at the earliest.
Eligible recipients are those whose I-WITS applications were made in the applicable period - from the first day of the month in which the bill is passed to the date of the bill’s passage, and six calendar months before that month.
New applicants or previous I-WITS recipients who have yet to submit applications in the applicable period should do so on or before the date of the bill’s passage to be eligible for the extra allowance.
The extra allowance will be the average monthly amount of approved months payable to the applicants in their I-WITS applications which were most recently submitted in the applicable period and eventually approved.
Click here for details.
CS inspects DSE exam centre
Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today visited Queen Elizabeth School to inspect the preparatory work of an examination centre for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) Examination.
Mr Cheung was briefed on anti-epidemic precautionary measures for candidates and examination personnel before they enter the centres.
They will be required to wear masks, make health declarations, undergo temperature checks, disinfect the soles of their shoes and clean their hands with alcohol-based sanitiser.
He then visited the school hall to understand the preparation required for an examination centre, such as disinfection and widening the distance between candidates’ seats to 1.8m as much as possible.
The Chief Secretary also learnt about the arrangements for candidates during the sessional break and the use of washrooms to help ensure that social distancing is maintained.
Mr Cheung was pleased to know that the Education Bureau had earlier distributed masks to candidates and made available about 200,000 bottles of alcohol-based sanitiser for candidates at examination centres.
The bureau has also set fallback dates, should the DSE examination be halted if the epidemic situation worsens.
He thanked the bureau, relevant government departments, the Examinations & Assessment Authority, principals, teachers and school staff for the additional work they have done to protect the candidates’ health and safety.
He encouraged the some 50,000 candidates to tackle the examinations positively and optimistically and reminded them to heighten their anti-epidemic awareness and strictly follow examination arrangements.
Additionally, Mr Cheung appealed to all employers to allow their staff to follow flexible working hours to divert passenger flows on public transport during the morning peak hours between 7am and 8am, thus enabling candidates to reach examination centres on time.
Minimum wage views sought
The Minimum Wage Commission today launched an eight-week public consultation to review the statutory minimum wage rate.
The commission said it adopts an evidence-based approach in conducting the minimum wage rate review and will consider the community's views.
Views can be sent by email before June 16.
Click here for information.
More support set for education sector
The Education Bureau today issued a circular memorandum to tutorial schools, inviting them to apply for a relief grant under the Anti-epidemic Fund.
The bureau said a total of about $120 million has been allocated from the fund to provide a one-off relief grant of $40,000 to each eligible tutorial school.
These tutorial schools must be registered under the Education Ordinance, have been operating in the three months before the class suspension - November, December and January - and be in operation on the application date.
Designated centres under the Financial Assistance Scheme for Designated Evening Adult Education Courses, which offer evening secondary school courses for adult learners, are also eligible for the grant.
The measure is expected to benefit about 3,000 tutorial schools, and the relief grant will be disbursed about four weeks upon receipt of an application.
Additionally, the fund will also provide relief grants to school-related service providers who have been affected by the prolonged class suspension, incurring an expenditure of about $419 million.
Beneficiaries will include operators of catering outlets at primary schools, secondary schools and post-secondary institutions and lunchbox providers of primary and secondary schools.
School bus drivers, school private light bus drivers and escorts, or nannies, as well as instructors, coaches, trainers and operators of interest classes engaged by schools, will also benefit from the relief grants.
The bureau will distribute application forms for the relief grant through post-secondary institutions to the catering outlets operating on their campuses within this week. The application details for other relief grants will be announced as soon as possible.
Separately, the bureau announced earlier that it would provide a one-off relief grant of $80,000 to each private school offering full and formal curriculum.
The grant has been disbursed progressively to schools under the English Schools Foundation, international schools, private independent schools, and other private secondary day schools and private primary schools.
Anti-epidemic fund committee meets
Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung today chaired the fourth meeting of the Anti-epidemic Fund Steering Committee, during which the funding commitment for 33 measures under the second-round of the fund was approved.
The Legislative Council Finance Committee last Saturday approved a funding application of $137.5 billion, including an injection of $120.5 billion to the Anti-epidemic Fund to roll out the second round of measures to provide further assistance or relief to the public and enterprises hard hit by the current epidemic or affected by anti-epidemic measures.
Mr Cheung said: "The pandemic has caused an unprecedented impact on Hong Kong's economy and various sectors have been hard hit.
“The Government will take resolute and unprecedented measures to expeditiously relieve the imminent needs of the businesses and members of the public.
"To provide assistance and relief to relevant enterprises and members of the public as soon as possible, I have asked the bureaus and departments to implement the measures at full steam to address the pressing needs of the community promptly and achieve the effect of safeguarding jobs and supporting enterprises."
Separately, the Education Bureau said the Finance Committee’s approval of the funding application for the second round of the fund and other relief measures included a one-off interest-free deferral of loan repayment for two years to self-financing post-secondary institutions under the Start-up Loan Scheme, non-profit-making international schools and student loan repayers.
All borrowers of the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly-funded Programmes, Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students, Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students, Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students and Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme will be offered an interest-free deferral of loan repayment from April 1 this year to March 31, 2022, including their loan instalments and interests.
The annual administrative fee of $180 charged on the non-means-tested loan repayers during the suspension period will be waived. The risk-adjusted-factor rate for setting the interest rate will also be maintained at zero.
Additionally, support for the construction sector will be enhanced.
The Development Bureau today said a one-off subsidy of $7,500 will be offered to each eligible construction worker.
More than 530,000 workers will benefit from the subsidy, including workers of construction sites as well as those registered under the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Buildings Department, the Water Supplies Department and the Fire Services Department.
At the same time, a one-off subsidy will be provided to 30,000 construction-related enterprises, generally small-scaled, which cannot benefit from the first round of the Anti-epidemic Fund.
Each eligible contractor, specialist contractor, works contractor and supplier can receive a one-off subsidy of $20,000, while minor works contractors, registered contractors of electrical, gas, lift, escalator and fire service installation along with suppliers of construction-related machinery and equipment rental can receive $10,000 each.
About 600 consultant firms offering engineering, architectural and related professional services will receive a subsidy of $50,000 each to support professionals in the sector.
The Government will also provide a direct subsidy of $3 million to each non-profit-making organisation running the 10 projects under the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme, PMQ and the Energizing Kowloon East - Fly the Flyover Operation.
Gov't unveils employment measures
The Government will launch a series of measures to retain and create jobs to prevent massive layoffs amid record levels of unemployment and underemployment for the first three months of the year.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment and underemployment rates have soared recently due to the severe blow dealt by the COVID-19 epidemic to Hong Kong’s economy.
With reference to the practice of some overseas governments in providing wage subsidies to employers and following the funding approval by the Legislative Council Finance Committee, the Government will launch the $81 billion Employment Support Scheme (ESS) as soon as possible.
The scheme will provide time-limited financial support to employers to retain workers who will inevitably be made redundant due to the downturn in business.
The provision of subsidies for employers, together with other relief measures and loan arrangements under the Anti-epidemic Fund and the 2020-21 Budget will help businesses stay afloat and retain jobs to prepare for a quick recovery once the epidemic is over.
Except for the Government, statutory bodies and government-funded organisations whose employees' salaries are not affected by the epidemic, employers who have been making Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions or have set up Occupational Retirement Schemes will be eligible for the ESS.
Employers joining the scheme have to provide an undertaking not to implement redundancies during the subsidy period and spend all wage subsidies from the Government in paying wages to their employees.
Wage subsidies provided under the ESS are calculated based on 50% of wages in a specified month subject to a wage cap of $18,000 per month for six months.
Payment will be made in two tranches, with the first payout no later than the end of June to subsidise employers to pay employees' wages from June to August.
After approval of the application, the number of employees on payroll shall not be less than the number of employees in March and the wage subsidies applied by employers must be used fully for employees' wages.
Under the ESS, self-employed people who have contributed to the MPF from January 1, 2019 to March 31 will be granted a one-off subsidy of $7,500.
The scheme is expected to benefit over 260,000 employers who have been making MPF contributions or have set up Occupational Retirement Schemes for 1.7 million employees, and about 215,000 self-employed people.
Employers and employees in the catering, construction and transport sectors that are not covered by the MPF will be taken care of by sector-specific schemes.
Regarding job creation, the Government has earmarked $6 billion to create about 30,000 time-limited jobs in public and private sectors in the coming two years for people of different skills and academic qualifications.
This is in addition to more than 10,000 civil service job openings for replacing retirees and filling new posts to be created in the 2020-21 Estimates, and about 5,000 short-term interns for young people.
In the second half of the year, the Labour Department will raise the ceiling of the 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 to further encourage employers to hire seniors, youngsters and the disabled.
The department plans to launch a pilot scheme in the second half of the year to encourage these people to undergo and complete on-the-job training under the above-mentioned employment programmes through the provision of a retention allowance.
A time-limited unemployment support scheme will be launched through the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme at the same time to provide timely and basic financial support to the unemployed who may not be covered by the ESS.
To maintain Hong Kong's economic vibrancy and relieve the financial burden of the public under the epidemic, the Government has introduced the largest package of relief measures to date, including the one-off relief measures in the Budget costing $120 billion and two rounds of measures under the Anti-epidemic Fund totalling $287.5 billion.
This accounts for about 10% of Hong Kong's gross domestic product, the Government added.
Unemployment rises to 4.2%
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.2% in the period between January and March, up from 3.7% for the period between December 2019 and February, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.
The underemployment rate also increased to 2.1% in the period.
Total employment dropped by 48,800 to 3,720,000 while the labour force fell by 20,800 to 3,882,200.
There were 134,100 unemployed people in the period, an increase of 28,100 from the period between December 2019 and February, and the number of underemployed people rose by 23,700 to 82,800.
Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong said that the labour market further deteriorated as the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted a wide range of economic activities.
The unemployment rate soared by 0.5 percentage point to 4.2% for the period, the highest in more than nine years, while the underemployment rate likewise surged 0.6 percentage point to 2.1%, the highest in nearly a decade, he said.
The year-on-year declines in total employment and labour force widened further to 3.6% and 2.2%, both the largest on record.
The combined unemployment rate of the consumption and tourism-related sectors of retail, accommodation and food services soared to 6.8%, the highest since the period between August and October in 2009 following the global financial crisis, while the underemployment rate rose to 3.9%, the highest since the period between June and August of 2003 following the onslaught of SARS.
Dr Law added the situation in food and beverage service activities was severe, with the unemployment and underemployment rates surging to 8.6% and 5.4%.
Meanwhile, the unemployment and underemployment rates of the construction sector went up drastically to 8.5% and 7.1% amid a visible slowdown in construction activities.
The unemployment and underemployment situation worsened visibly in the transportation and education sectors as well. Labour market conditions in most other sectors also saw deterioration of various degrees.
Dr Law said: "The labour market will continue to face significant pressure from the economic fallout arising from the pandemic 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 the two rounds of measures under the Anti-epidemic Fund totalling $287.5 billion, with a view to preserving the vitality of the economy and relieving people's financial burdens.
“Some specific measures, in particular the Employment Support Scheme and various types of support for specific sectors, should help keep workers in employment.
“The Government will closely monitor the developments, including the progress and effectiveness of the various relief measures.”
Employment support is vital
As we all know, Hong Kong as well as most parts of the world are facing a pandemic that has an enormous negative impact on our social and economic life. At this juncture, we don't have any accurate way to predict what will happen in the coming months. Two months ago, we were worried about whether COVID-19 would become a pandemic. Yet, the scale of the pandemic as we see now is not what we could have imagined two months ago. What we can do now is tackle the social and economic crisis upfront and build the resilience of our society, in particular, our employment market, so that when the time comes where social and economic activities can resume no matter how gradually or rapidly, our society can bounce back as soon as possible.
Unemployment has edged up bit by bit since the latter part of 2019. Statistics and daily news about business closures are telling us that unemployment is going up rapidly. While we should see what can be done to help those unemployed, the more important and urgent task is to see how we can "stop the bleeding", which essentially means job retention. The Employment Support Scheme, with a budget of over $80 billion, is designed exactly for that purpose. Through providing time-limited financial support, the whole idea of this scheme is to preserve jobs by enabling employers to keep their employees in employment for the coming months, and also when business resumes, employers can immediately grab the opportunities.
The central idea of the Employment Support Scheme is to provide wage subsidy that is equivalent to 50% of the wages of the employees up to a wage cap of $18,000 per month. The subsidy is given to the employers so that they can keep their staff for the coming six months. The employers will be required to have no redundancy or layoffs during the months that they receive wage subsidies from the Government.
In Hong Kong, we do not have a pay-as-you-go income tax system. Neither do we have a social insurance system nor a central provident fund to cover everyone in our workforce. That means we do not have any existing system covering every employer and employee in Hong Kong that we can devise a wage subsidy scheme that covers everyone. Any system meant to cover everyone in our workforce must be mandatory in nature and that will take time for us to have the relevant legislation in place and subsequently the system built.
However, schemes under the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) and the other Occupational Retirement Schemes provide a framework that we can develop a wage subsidy scheme to cover the great majority of the workforce. This is definitely not sufficient. In particular, we have identified three sectors that do not have good coverage in the provident fund systems. They are the catering industry, the construction industry and the passenger transport sector. Under the Anti-epidemic Fund, we have three sector-specific schemes to assist the employers and the employees in these sectors.
Many freelance workers or those in the so-called slash economy do not make contributions to the MPF. Though we have over 200,000 self-employed persons having an account in the MPF system, they do not pay MPF regularly. While we will provide a one-off wage subsidy to those self-employed persons who have made MPF contributions within the past 15 months, we also have three separate but mutually exclusive schemes operating under the Home Affairs Bureau, the Education Bureau and the Social Welfare Department, providing the same one-off wage subsidy to those freelance workers who provide arts and sports training. The one-off wage subsidy is $7,500.
Though all the schemes I mentioned above still cannot cover everyone in the workforce, this is the best we can do in making use of existing systems so that we can launch this round of the Anti-epidemic Fund in the shortest possible time to help our employers and employees to survive the challenges that are with us now. Any new systems to be built from scratch will not be able to provide the necessary timely support that employers and employees desperately need.
As mentioned earlier, unemployment is increasing at a disturbing rate. The basic unemployment protection system in Hong Kong relies on two legs. One is the Severance Payment or Long Service Payment payable by the employers, which is equivalent to two-thirds of the monthly salary times the number of years of service with the employer. The other is the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) Scheme. The CSSA provides a level of income support to families for their basic level of living in the context of Hong Kong. The CSSA provides a safety net to any family not having sufficient means, including those who are unemployed.
Apart from the income test, the CSSA also has an asset test. For the purpose of providing extra help to those unemployed during this difficult time, the Government will double the existing asset limit for the able-bodied for a limited period of six months, allowing more families with people unemployed to become eligible to receive CSSA. We estimated that about 40,000 families will benefit from this enhancement.
Unfortunately, over the years there is a social stigma towards the CSSA system. People in desperation may be deterred from applying for CSSA simply because of the stigma. This is the time for us to destigmatise the CSSA system. It is the safety net for citizens of Hong Kong. It is the responsibility of an affluent society like Hong Kong to provide the basic level of living to those who cannot afford to do so on their own. This is the time, this difficult time, that this safety net should perform its basic function.
We are doing our best to support Hong Kong in this epidemic fight. Let's weather the storm and brave the challenges together.
This is the Letter to Hong Kong by Secretary for Labour & Welfare Dr Law Chi-kwong on anti-epidemic measures and the Employment Support Scheme carried on Radio Television Hong Kong Radio 3 on April 19.
Exam centres well prepared
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung said all the examination centres for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) Examination are well prepared to provide a very safe environment for candidates to take the exams.
Mr Yeung made the statement when asked by reporters this morning about the arrangements schools have made to prepare for the DSE to be held on April 24.
He said: “In terms of the distance between the seats, in terms of all the procedures for cleansing, and also the detailed arrangements including the toilet arrangement and other things, all the schools, all the examination centres, are well prepared to provide a very safe environment for our candidates to take the examinations.”
Regarding school resumption, Mr Yeung said the Government has not made any firm decision nor set any deadline for schools to resume classes.
DSE exam set for Apr 24
(To watch the full press conference with sign language interpretation, click here.)
The Government is confident that the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) Examination could be held on April 24.
Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung made the statement when explaining the arrangements for the DSE examination at a press conference today.
Mr Yeung said the Government understands that some DSE candidates are concerned about their safety.
He said measures will be taken to make sure that examination venues will be as safe as possible.
Exam candidates will have to wear masks, which have already been distributed, before entering the examination centres. Hand sanitisers will also be given to them.
If a candidate has a fever or upper respiratory tract symptoms, they will not be allowed to take the exam.
Additionally, more classrooms will be turned into examination centres and desks will be separated by at least 1.8m in most centres.
Mr Yeung said: “We are now confident that the exam could be held on April 24.
“We believe that with everyone’s effort and hopefully with the support of the community in trying to control the spread of the disease, we will be able to complete the DSE exam by the end of May.”
Scheme transparency ensured: CS
The Government will ensure absolute transparency of the Employment Support Scheme, Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung said today.
Mr Cheung made the statement after attending a radio programme this morning, and reiterated that under the new $80 billion scheme, eligible employers have to undertake that they cannot implement redundancy and that the subsidy will go towards paying staff.
"We have got two very important criteria. One is, no redundancy at all. The second thing is, all the subsidy from the Government for that particular purpose must go to paying staff salaries and not other purposes. A very restrictive approach."
He added that the list of applicants for the scheme would be open for public inspection.
"We will ensure absolute transparency of the scheme. For any successful applicant, their amount of subsidy disbursed and so on will be released to the public, and also particularly to the employees concerned, so they know whether the employers have applied for the scheme and whether they are successful indeed.
"And finally in Hong Kong, we have got a very active media and also a very active trade union movement here."
Mr Cheung also said that imposing a penalty against those who did not comply with the scheme's regulations would be discussed.
"If there is any criminal element involved - conspiracy, dishonesty and so on - we will act in accordance with the law. Any outstanding sum that is not used will be clawed back. We are also considering imposing a penalty for any deviation from the so-called regulation or rules imposed by the scheme. Now, all these need to be thrashed out in the next few days.
"We will be going to the Finance Committee coming Friday. A special Finance Committee meeting will be lined up. Then the whole thing will go firm, because there are still some minor details yet to be thrashed out."
Land sharing scheme opens May 6
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.
Property sales up 6.8%
The Land Registry recorded 4,866 sale and purchase agreements for all building units for registration in April, up 6.8% from March but 50.9% lower year-on-year.
The total consideration for such agreements rose 7.1% from March to $38.4 billion, representing a 55.9% year-on-year decline.
Of the agreements, 4,102 were for residential units in April, up 6% from March but 47.6% lower than the same month a year ago.
The total consideration for residential units was $33.7 billion, up 6.2% compared with March and 51.9% lower year-on-year.
There were 375,802 land register searches last month.
Scheme to encourage 5G use opens
The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today announced the launch of the Subsidy Scheme for Encouraging Early Deployment of the fifth-generation mobile technology.
Launched under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund, the scheme is open for applications until November 30 on a first come, first served basis.
It encourages various sectors to deploy 5G technology early to foster innovation and smart city applications and to improve the efficiency of their operations and the quality of their services that enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness.
The scheme will subsidise 50% of the actual cost directly relevant to the deployment of 5G technology in an approved project, subject to a cap of $500,000.
About 100 qualified projects will be subsidised.
Click here for more details.
For enquiries, call 2961 6333 or send an email to the OFCA.
New street index goes on sale
The 52nd edition of the Index of Streets, House Numbers & Lots in Hong Kong, Kowloon & New Kowloon, and the 21st edition of the New Territories Lot/Address Cross Reference Table on compact disc are now on sale.
Licences for using the street index and the cross reference table on computer networks are also available for sale.
An online version of the new street index and cross reference table is available on the Land Registry's website or the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services website.
They are designed to facilitate land record searches by correlating property addresses, building names or lot numbers.
The latest edition of the index features 444 amendments, 11 new streets, and the addition of 30 new lots, sections or subsections.
The latest edition of the table features 1,522 amendments, 10 new streets, and 1,146 new lots, sections or subsections.
Click here for order forms.
Mong Kok site sold
The tender for a Mong Kok site has been awarded on a 50-year land grant at a premium of $467.18 million, the Lands Department announced today.
Kowloon Inland Lot No. 11240 at the junction of Soy Street and Shanghai Street was awarded to Worth Forever, a subsidiary of Bring Bright.
It has a site area of about 625.5 sq m with a minimum gross floor area of 3,751.75 sq m.
The maximum gross floor area for private residential purposes is 4,691.25 sq m.
The maximum gross floor area for non-industrial purposes is computed according to the relevant special condition in the conditions of sale.
Truck, minibus subsidies open
Applications for the $1.3 billion in subsidies earmarked for registered owners of goods vehicles and green minibus operators under the Anti-epidemic Fund opened today, the Transport Department announced.
A one-off non-accountable subsidy of $10,000 will be provided to each registered goods vehicle owner for each goods vehicle.
From today until September 30, registered owners of goods vehicles who have received the department's letters must use the registration PIN provided in the letters for submission of registrations through GovHK.
After successful completion of registration, the subsidy will be disbursed to the designated local bank account provided in the registration through autopay in about two to three weeks.
Cross-boundary goods vehicle drivers who conduct nucleic acid tests in Hong Kong can apply for the subsidy on an accountable basis, with the maximum amount being $350 per test.
A one-off non-accountable subsidy of $30,000 per green minibus will be provided to each holder of a Passenger Service Licence-Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Service who has been approved to operate a relevant green minibus route package.
The department briefed the green minibus trade today on the subsidy arrangement and application details with the distribution of the application forms.
Green minibus operators are required to send the completed application forms to the department by post on or before September 30.
After the department has verified their submissions, the subsidy will be disbursed through autopay in about one month.
To assist the transport trades to cope with operational demands in the prevailing economic environment, the Government has rolled out the fuel subsidy and one-off subsidy measures under the first round of the Anti-epidemic Fund progressively.
As of mid-April, the department has received applications for subsidies from three franchised bus companies, 10 franchised and licensed ferry operators, Hong Kong Tramways Limited, registrations from 1,700 registered owners of non-franchised public buses, school private light buses and hire cars. Over $100 million of the subsidies have been disbursed.
Click here for details.
Driving test services to resume
The Transport Department today announced that its driving test (road test) service will resume on May 4 to align with the resumption of public services in phases.
The department said candidates scheduled to take a road test on or after May 4 should take the test according to the test date, time and the driving test centre specified in their appointment letter.
Candidates affected by the suspension of driving test centres will be notified by post of the rescheduled test.
Driving test (written test Part A) and taxi written test services will resume on May 26.
Candidates affected by the suspension of written test services will be rescheduled to take the tests from May 26 and thereafter and notified by post of the rescheduling.
All candidates participating in the driving, road and written tests, must wear surgical masks inside the test centres and throughout the test.
They must also clean their hands with alcohol sanitisers and undergo body temperature screening.
If a candidate does not wear a surgical mask, refuses body temperature screening or has a body temperature higher than 37.5 degrees Celsius, the candidate will not be allowed to enter the venue and the test will be rescheduled.
To improve air circulation inside the vehicle compartment, driving examiners may open vehicle windows during the test.
The department urged candidates not to attend a driving test if they are unwell.
For applicants who are absent from a driving test on medical grounds, they may submit their postponement applications with the original sick leave or medical certificate to the Driving Test Appointment Office within one month from the test date for rescheduling.
Candidates applying for a postponement, temporary cancellation of driving test appointment or change of driving test region may submit signed application letters, copies of identification document and driving test appointment letter via the drop-in box at the Kowloon Licensing Office or post them to the Driving Test Appointment Office on 2/F, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road.
Application of driving test appointment services for fresh candidates and repeaters will continue to be suspended until further notice. Call 2771 7723 for enquiries.
Vehicle Examination Centres will resume full services on May 4. The department will continue to process applications for licensing and related services submitted by applicants with scheduled appointments via the drop-in boxes, by post or online except for the direct issue of a full Hong Kong driving licence.
Applications may be submitted via the drop-in boxes at the offices concerned between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday except public holidays.
Those who have made online appointments for renewal of a full driving licence, vehicle licence, and transfer of vehicle ownership or international driving permit can visit the Licensing Office concerned at the scheduled time.
To maintain social distancing to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, the offices concerned will continue to suspend walk-in counter services.
Meanwhile, the Highways Department's public services will return to normal from May 4.
The department will implement social distancing and precautionary measures, including the introduction of flexible working and lunch hours, meeting adjustments and stepping up the cleansing of its offices.
Members of the public may call the 24-hour hotline 2926 4111 or 1823 for making suggestions, enquiries or complaints. The department can also be contacted by email or fax.
13 building plans approved
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.
Gov’t car park fees to be frozen
The parking fees of 12 government public car parks will be frozen at their existing levels for one year from June 1, the Transport Department announced today.
In reviewing the parking fees, the department said it considered the inflation rate, private car park charges and usage of the government car parks.
Having considered the impact on the economy brought by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the impact on usage of the car parks, the department decided to maintain the parking fees at existing levels.
The 12 car parks are Kennedy Town Car Park, Rumsey Street Car Park, Star Ferry Car Park, City Hall Car Park, Tin Hau Car Park, Shau Kei Wan Car Park, Aberdeen Car Park, Yau Ma Tei Car Park, Sheung Fung Street Car Park, Wong Tai Sin Public Transport Terminus Car Park, Kwai Fong Car Park and Tsuen Wan Car Park.
Click here for details.
Mortgage help for subsidised flats
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.
Tenders for ferry services invited
The Transport Department today invited tenders for operating six major licensed ferry services for outlying islands for five years from April 1, 2021.
The six routes are between Central to Cheung Chau, Inter-islands between Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Chai Ma Wan and Cheung Chau, Central to Mui Wo, Central to Peng Chau, Central to Yung Shue Wan and Central to Sok Kwu Wan.
The department said that for the purposes of maintaining financial viability of the six major routes, alleviating the burden of fare increases on passengers, enhancing service quality and promoting a green city development, the Government would continue to provide special measures to the routes.
Such measures would include launching a new Vessel Subsidy Scheme to help selected ferry operators replace the fleets of the six major routes and introduce greener vessels in phases, straddling 10 years from 2021.
Having regard to factors such as passenger demand, overall fleet requirements, flexibility in vessel deployment, operational efficiency, and after consulting the Islands District Council, the six major routes are grouped into two packages for tendering.
The first package covers Central-Cheung Chau, Peng Chau-Mui Wo-Chi Ma Wan-Cheung Chau (Inter Islands) and Central-Mui Wo routes.
The other package covers Central-Peng Chau, Central-Yung Shue Wan and Central-Sok Kwu Wan routes.
Tenderers are required to propose a fare for each fare type of each relevant route and it must not exceed the existing fare level of the corresponding route by more than 5%. Tenders should also include in their submissions fare concession proposals that will be considered in the tender evaluation.
In support of the Government's development of a smart city, tenderers should propose measures including dissemination of real-time arrival/departure time of ferry routes, number of remaining seats via mobile phone apps and opening up such data for the public’s use under data.gov.hk.
The tenders must be sealed in envelopes and placed in the Transport Department Tender Box adjacent to the reception counter of the department on the 10th floor of South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei before noon on June 30.
The cover of the tender submission should be marked with tender reference TD 382/2019 and include the subject of the tender. It should also be addressed to the Commissioner for Transport.
Tender documents will be available for collection at the Transport Department’s Ferry & Paratransit Division on the 14th Floor, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei from April 27 during office hours.
95K flats forecast
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.
LandsD measures to aid enterprises
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.
New niche applications set
More than 40,000 new niches at two columbaria in Tuen Mun and Fanling will open for applications from May 11, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department announced today.
Tsang Tsui Columbarium in Tuen Mun will provide 22,680 standard niches and 220 large niches, while Wo Hop Shek Columbarium in Fanling will provide 21,720 standard niches and 330 large niches for application.
The department said applicants should only file one application form to apply for either a large or standard niche for the same deceased person.
It said applicants have to fill in the particulars of at least three deceased people when applying for a large niche.
Since the type and number of niches available in the two columbaria are different, the chance of successful allocation varies, the department added.
The application deadline is June 10.
Click here for details.
Ap Lei Chau site to be sold
An Ap Lei Chau site in the 2020-21 Land Sale Programme will be sold by public tender, the Lands Department announced today.
Ap Lei Chau Inland Lot No. 137 at Ap Lei Chau Praya Road is designated for non-industrial purposes, excluding godown, hotel and petrol filling station.
It has a site area of about 1,128.8 sq m with a minimum gross floor area of 4,921 sq m.
The maximum gross floor area for private residential purposes is 8,201.6 sq m, while that for other designated purposes is computed according to the relevant special sale condition.
The tender invitation for the lot will open on April 24 and close on May 22.
HKTDC to host Summer Virtual Expo
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Online activities centre launched
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.
Cultural centre art proposals invited
The East Kowloon Cultural Centre Public Artwork Commissioning Project is inviting artists, designers and architects to create an art landscape for the centre.
Presented by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department and organised by the Art Promotion Office, the project endeavors to capture and showcase the past, present and future of East Kowloon.
The commissioned artworks will represent five themes - memory, impression, moment, dream and imagination - aiming to display the district’s changing nature, and to manifest the local community’s cultural sustainability, aspirations and dreams.
Interested participants must submit their preliminary proposal with their curriculum vitae, documentation of their previous artwork and the artistic concept of the proposed artwork.
All proposals must be delivered to the centre’s Public Art Project Management Team at G/F, 50-54 Lok Ku Road, Sheung Wan before 7pm on May 4.
Participants shortlisted by the selection panel are required to submit detailed proposals before 7pm on June 30 for the next stage of the selection process.
Up to three proposals shall be chosen by the selection panel for commissioning and installing in the centre.
Astronomical events exhibit set
The Space Museum is staging a special exhibition 2020 Astronomical Events to highlight six major astronomical events happening this year.
The events include grouping of the four planets with the moon in late March, the serial phenomena of Jupiter's moons on June 11 and 12, and the partial solar eclipse on June 21.
Information on the Perseid meteor shower in mid-August, the Geminid meteor shower in mid-December and the Jupiter-Saturn conjunction on December 21 will also be featured.
The exhibit explains details and phenomena of these events, while serving as a practical guide to help visitors pick the best dates, times, locations and tools to observe them.
It will run until September 21 in two phases. The first three events will be presented during the first phase from January to June, while the second phase events will be shown from June to September.
Admission is free.
Call 2721 0226 for enquiries.
Jazz marathon set for April
The city's annual Jazz Marathon will be held on April 25.
The all-day music event will see artists from France, India, Italy, Japan, the Mainland, Russia and the US collaborate with local musicians to create a borderless jazz soundscape.
The Day Marathon Concert will be held from 2.30pm to 6pm while the Night Marathon Concert will be held from 7.15pm to 10.45pm.
Ahead of the concerts, jazz workshops with the artists will be held on April 24.
Presented by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department, the events will be held at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai.
Tickets are available at URBTIX.
Click here for details.
Music marathon set
More than 30 local music and dance groups will perform in the Youth Music & Dance Marathon on January 5.
The free event presented by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department will be held from 1pm to 6pm that day at the Cultural Centre Piazza.
Event highlights will include performances by singers and groups from the Renaissance Foundation and My Main Stage as well as other local bands such as Chonotenki and Gainorva.
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts’ School of Dance, the Hong Kong Schools Dance Association and other groups will also give a variety of dance performances such as Chinese, street, jazz, modern, cha-cha-cha, jive and J-pop.
Click here for details.
3D turtle show set
The Space Museum will present Turtle Odyssey 3D between January 1 and April 30 where audiences can join sea turtle Bunji for a remarkable adventure and meet an astonishing range of strange and fascinating creatures, including breaching whales, manta rays and clownfish.
Bunji's journey starts from the moment her fragile egg cracks open below the warm sand of an Australian beach.
Having traversed thousands of kilometres of open oceans, she returns after decades with mysterious precision back to the very beach where she was born to lay eggs and start the next generation.
Her journey reminds the audience of how interconnected all creatures are, moving them to cherish these beautiful and vulnerable sea turtles even more.
The 41-minute show will be screened daily at 2.40pm and 6.10pm. An additional show at 11.10am will be available on Sundays and public holidays.
Tickets are available at the Space Museum Box Office and URBTIX. The museum is closed on Tuesdays except public holidays.
Click here for details.
Kai Tak archaeological expo set
About 200 archaeological Song-Yuan period finds unearthed at Kai Tak will go on display in an exhibition at the Heritage Discovery Centre from tomorrow until February 26.
Following the closure of Kai Tak Airport in 1998, the planning work for the Kai Tak Development Area created opportunities for archaeological studies around the former Sacred Hill in Kowloon Bay.
An abundance of Song-Yuan period cultural remains were subsequently unearthed, including a huge amount of ceramics produced by various kilns in Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi.
Similar products from the same period were exported widely and could be found in shipwrecks along the maritime ceramics route.
Highlights of the Treasures from the Sacred Hill: Song-Yuan Period Archaeological Discoveries from Kai Tak exhibition include green glazed incense burners with an eight trigrams pattern and a green glazed dish with a moulded double fish pattern produced by Longquan Kiln.
Other highlights include a brown glazed dragon jar with lugs and a green glazed basin with a phoenix pattern produced by Cizao Kiln and a Daguan Tongbao bronze coin.
Ceramics from the same period on loan from the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong will also be displayed.
Curated by the Antiquities & Monuments Office, admission to the exhibition is free.
Call 2208 4400 for details.
Palace Museum artefacts on show
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.
History show heads to Kowloon City
The Leisure & Cultural Services Department’s Community Oral History Theatre Project will be launched in Kowloon City District on January 15.
An oral history theatre performance and a sharing session will kick off the project.
The performance will feature an excerpt from the production of Sai Kung, Therefore I Live.
It will be held at Hung Hom Community Hall.
Admission is free with tickets.
Click here for details.
Art museum to reopen on Nov 30
The Hong Kong Museum of Art will reopen on November 30 with 11 new exhibitions, after major expansion and renovation.
Ordinary to Extraordinary: Stories of the Museum, an exhibition of gems from the museum's collection, will showcase exceptional works curated from its four core collections - Chinese Antiquities, Chinese Painting & Calligraphy, China Trade Art, and Modern & Hong Kong Art.
Museum of Art Director Maria Mok said that by sharing the fascinating stories behind these works, the exhibition will help visitors discover little-known anecdotes about the museum throughout the 57 years since its founding.
The exhibition From Dung Basket to Dining Cart: 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Wu Guanzhong will showcase more than 100 of the artist’s paintings to not only honour his contributions to Chinese art, but also pay tribute to his artistic pursuits spanning over half a century.
The development of Hong Kong art has been a unique local experience.
The Hong Kong Experience‧Hong Kong Experiment exhibition makes use of the museum's collection accumulated over half a century to capture all these different experiences and experiments, portraying the development of Hong Kong art.
The museum has been closed since August 2015 for renovations to increase exhibition space and upgrade its facilities.
After the expansion, its total exhibition area will increase from about 7,000 to 10,000 sq m and the number of galleries will increase from seven to 12.
Click here to reserve admission time slots.
US circus to perform
Premiere US troupe Cirque Mechanics will bring their fun-filled show Pedal Punk to Hong Kong audiences as young as three in December.
Audiences will experience the excitement, artistry and surprises that occur when a wacky bike shop mechanic interacts with cyclists and bikes, ultimately repairing more than broken bicycle parts.
With circus acrobatics, mechanical wonders and a bit of clowning around, the show promises to provide an entertaining acrobatic experience for audiences looking for fun and excitement.
Presented by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department as part of the “Cheers!” Series, the show will be staged at 8pm from December 26 to 28 at Queen Elizabeth Stadium.
Tickets are available at URBTIX. One ticket per person is required regardless of age.
Call 2268 7323 for enquiries.
Bird watching festival underway
The Wetland Park is holding its annual Bird Watching Festival, with "Incredible Bird Parents" as this year’s theme.
Running until April 20, the event shows how versatile and sophisticated birds are in providing parental care for their offspring.
For the first time, five unique Lego brick wetland animal models are displayed as another festival attraction.
They include the saltwater crocodile Pui Pui, a kingfisher, paddy frog, fiddler crab and the common tiger, as well as Lego brick wall art.
Co-created by the Wetland Park and Lego Certified Professional Andy Hung, the Lego series aims to inspire kids to build a better future for nature.
Other edutainment comprises bird watching tours, thematic bird interpretation sessions, bird photography workshops, public lectures and a kids reading club.
Click here for details.
Strings crossover concert set
An extraordinary strings crossover performance by erhu master Xu Ke and the Tokyo String Quintet will be held in December.
Heralded as the Paganini of the erhu world, Mr Xu is currently a guest professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Japan.
Presented by the Leisure & Cultural Services Department as part of the Music Delight Series, the concert will be held at Tsuen Wan Town Hall on December 14.
Tickets are available at URBTIX.
Click here for details.