Hong Kong – Hong Kong Property Review 2023 preliminary findings released

Hong Kong Property Review 2023 preliminary findings released

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     The Rating and Valuation Department today (March 31) released the preliminary findings of its annual review of production and activities in the local property market.
 
     The preliminary findings, to be incorporated in the Hong Kong Property Review 2023, cover the major private property categories in terms of completions, take-up and vacancy in 2022 and forecast completions in 2023 and 2024, as well as price and rental data.
 
     Summaries of the findings can also be downloaded from the department’s website at www.rvd.gov.hk.
 
     Further enquiries can be directed to the department by contacting the Technical Secretary (Information) at 2150 8807.

Hong Kong – Outcome of 2023 review of MTR Fare Adjustment Mechanism

Outcome of 2023 review of MTR Fare Adjustment Mechanism

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     The Government and the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) have completed the review of the MTR Fare Adjustment Mechanism (FAM). The Executive Council approved the outcome of the review today (March 21). The enhanced FAM will take effect starting from June this year.

     Speaking at the press conference today, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Lam Sai-hung, said that the Government is clear in its review objectives to strike a balance between different considerations and needs, with a view to enhancing the FAM to bring about fare moderation for the public and strengthen the linkage between MTR fares and the Corporation’s profit and service performance, as well as taking into account the long-term financial sustainability of the MTRCL, in order for it to reserve adequate resources to cope with the increasing expenses on railway maintenance and asset renewal, and co-operate with the Government in taking forward new railway projects that are beneficial to the society. The enhanced FAM and its related arrangements have the following key features:

(1) to link MTR fares directly with its Hong Kong property development (HKPD) profits through revising the calculation method of the Productivity Factor (PF) in the FAM formula (Note), in order to respond to the ongoing demands from the public and lower the fare base of the MTRCL in the long run to benefit all passengers.

     Revised arrangement for PF:
 

HKPD Profit in the Previous Year Productivity Factor
<$5 billion 0.6%
≥$5 billion to <$10 billion 0.7%
≥$10 billion 0.8%

Note: Overall fare adjustment rate = (0.5 × year-on-year change in Composite Consumer Price Index) + (0.5 × year-on-year change in Nominal Wage Index (Transportation Section) (Wage Index)) – PF

     Based on the HKPD profit of the MTRCL in 2022, the fare adjustment rate this year would be lowered by 0.8 percentage point accordingly;

(2) the MTRCL to offer a 1.2 per cent special fare reduction for the fare adjustment this year, in order to offset over 40 per cent of the 2.85 per cent unrecouped fare adjustment rate due to the “Affordability Cap” arrangement. The remaining 1.65 per cent recoupment will continue to be deferred. Further, the MTRCL will defer implementing another 0.2 per cent of the fare increase rate this year. In other words, a total of 1.85 per cent fare increase rate would be deferred, so as to further reduce the fare burden of passengers as the economy gradually recovers;

(3) to increase the amount to be set aside for incidents that cause disruptions of more than three hours and the maximum amount to be set aside per incident under the Service Performance Rebate (SPR), as well as introduce a peak hour multiplier to more duly reflect the impact of train service disruptions on passengers. Details are set out in the Annex. 

     Once the amount set aside under SPR reaches $25 million, the MTRCL will arrange a Special Fare Day to take place on a specific Saturday or Sunday when passengers can pay half price for taking the MTR.

     Under the new arrangement, the MTRCL shall set aside $103 million for incidents that took place in 2022 to provide four Special Fare Days;

(4) to enhance and extend various fare concessions, including raising the MTR-Green Minibuses interchange discount from $0.3 per trip to $0.5 per trip, and extending the MTR City Saver and Monthly Pass-related concessions, in order to continue to benefit different passenger groups; and

(5) to retain the existing “Affordability Cap” arrangement under the FAM to keep fare adjustments in check.

     Mr Lam emphasised that the Government has achieved a breakthrough in the current review to link MTR fares directly to its property development profit, thereby responding to the perennial calls from the community. Adopting a result-oriented approach, the fare adjustment rate this year will be lowered by 3.85 percentage point, including the reduction of 0.8 per cent under the revised PF, 1.2 per cent special fare reduction and the total of 1.85 per cent deferral of fare adjustment, thus significantly reducing the fare burden on passengers.

     The actual fare adjustment rate this year will be finalised when the Census and Statistics Department announces the Wage Index at the end of this month. 

2022 Year in Review

 The Way to Happiness, a book written by humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1980s, is comprised of 21 precepts, each one predicated on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others—and that without the survival of others, neither joy nor happiness are attainable. In the three decades since it was authored, more than 115 million copies of the book passed hand to hand, thus inspiring the international movement which is spreading throughout Nashville, TN.

The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee (TWTH-TN) remained active virtually throughout the year, spreading positive audio-visual messages. And, with health and safety in mind, volunteers took to the streets and parks of Nashville during 2022 to continue distributing booklets to help people learn the concepts contained within the common-sense moral code and uplift communities.

Volunteers were excited to organize cleanups during 2022 to help beautify the Nashville community. In the precept “Safeguard and Improve the Environment,” Mr. Hubbard wrote: “The idea that one has a share in the planet and that one can and should help care for it may seem very large and, to some, quite beyond reality. But today what happens on the other side of the world, even so far away, can effect what happens in your own home…. There are many things one can do to help take care of the planet. They begin with the idea that one should. They progress with suggesting to others they should. Man has gotten up to the potential of destroying the planet. He must be pushed on up to the capability and actions of saving it. It is, after all, what we’re standing on.”

TWTH-TN is making a true impact across Tennessee and reaching other parts of the world. To learn more about the program, or to order copies of The Way to Happiness booklet, visit twthtn.org.

The Way to Happiness
Chris Blythe
615-453-8984
www.twthtn.org

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Hong Kong – Review of anti-rodent work in 2022

Review of anti-rodent work in 2022

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     The Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) today (January 13) released a review of its anti-rodent work in 2022.

     A spokesman of the EEB said that since the establishment of the current-term Government in July last year, the EEB, with its policy functions expanded, has launched various new measures to actively tackle environmental hygiene black spots, combat shop front extension and promote anti-rodent work. The work included supporting the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration to launch the Government Programme on Tackling Hygiene Black Spots in August, expanding the trial scheme of combating shop front extensions in various districts across the territory in October, putting forth the preliminary proposal of raising the level of fixed penalty for offences such as waste disposal and shop front extensions under the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction) Ordinance (Cap. 570) and as well as launching the “Cross-sectoral Territory-wide Anti-rodent Action” in December.

     For rodent control, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) continued to carry out the territory-wide anti-rodent campaign and anti-rodent operations in designated target areas in 2022. It set up 19 overnight rodent control teams in July; and launched a trial scheme in November 2022 to allow licensed food premises to place large-size waste containers at rear lanes for temporary storage of waste until collection by the cleaning workers hired by the food premises. The Code of Practice for Rodent Management and Checklists for Anti-rodent Work were published in the year. New anti-rodent methods and technology were also put into trial use in the second half of 2022, including the trial use of Ekomille and glue traps, and also a wider application of T-shape rodent bait boxes.

     Through a multi-pronged approach, the total number of dead rodents collected and live rodents caught by the FEHD from July to December last year was 42,114, around 20 per cent more than that of January to June (35,118), and around 18 per cent more than that in the corresponding period in 2021 (35,812). The number of live rodents caught has remarkably increased since the formation of overnight rodent control teams. The number of live rodents caught during the second half of the year was 27,728, an increase of around 57 per cent over that in the first half of the year (17,694), and around 50 per cent more than the corresponding period in 2021 (18,459).  

     Targeting the rodent problems in markets and fixed-pitch hawker areas, the FEHD has continued to implement deep cleaning operations at its markets and extended the intensive anti-rodent operations to all markets and fixed-pitch hawker areas. Between August and December last year, the number of dead and live rodents removed from public markets was 8,026, which was around 56 per cent more than the corresponding period in 2021 (5,156). In addition, the FEHD and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department launched a pilot scheme in Yeung Uk Road Market, Tsuen Wan to deploy wireless motion sensors, rodent traps, bait boxes, etc. through the application of Internet of Things solutions, so as to step up the monitoring of rodent prevention and control work in markets, and carry out focused improvements and follow-up work.

     The FEHD has introduced a new licensing condition in fresh provision shops (FPS) licences to strengthen the regulations on their handling of meat and poultry. As at the end of December 2022, around 2,300 licences (about 80 per cent of the licence concerned) were covered and the rest of the licences will also be covered not later than the end of April this year. The new licensing condition stipulates that unless prior written approval for an alternative arrangement has been obtained from the FEHD, all fresh/chilled/frozen meat or poultry to be delivered to the licensed FPS for sale, no matter whether the meat or poultry is prepackaged, must be directly delivered into the premises, and at no time be left or kept outside the premises (including any street, pavement, alley, passageway, and space) pending further handling or sale. Even if an alternative arrangement is approved, the meat or poultry must at all times be properly kept and protected to prevent from the invasion or contamination by the ambient environment or pest.

     On enforcements, the FEHD has issued a total of around 42,000 fixed penalty notices and initiated around 1,900 prosecutions last year, targeting situations such as causing poor environmental hygiene conditions, food preparation and scullery at rear lanes, and improper storage of articles and illegal dumping of refuse.

     The Home Affairs Department and the FEHD also worked in concert last year, with the former providing over 490 times one-off cleaning services to the common parts of some 480 “three-nil” buildings, and the latter stepping up street cleaning and pest control services at public places in their vicinity. Trial scheme of including anti-rodent services in the one-off cleaning services to the common parts has been launched in four districts (Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong, Sha Tin and Southern) and it will also be rolled out in the Kowloon City district in February this year.

     For public housing estates, the Working Group on Rodent Prevention and Control in Public Rental Housing Estates under the Housing Authority held five meetings last year. Apart from implementing more intensive rodent control measures at 80 targeted housing estates, the Housing Department, together with the FEHD and district stakeholders, conducted about 250 joint cleaning operations.

     Anti-rodent effort has been stepped up since grave problem of rodent infestation was found near Tip Sum House in Butterfly Estate, Tuen Mun in October 2022. Multiple anti-rodent trial measures were launched, including the use of mobile digital closed circuit television system with built-in motion detection sensor to detect rodent activities, the use of QR codes to be scanned by mobile phones during patrols to input information into forms recording numbers of rodents and rat holes, and upload photos to the database. With the anti-rodent operation largely completed in mid-November last year, the mobile digital closed circuit television system had not detected any rodent at the concerned spot for around 47 days. As at January 11 this year, 371 rodents were caught.

     With the experience gained, the Government launched the “Cross-sectoral Territory-wide Anti-rodent Action” on December 28,2022 to encourage all sectors of the society and members of the public to collaborate with the Government to collectively strengthen anti-rodent work and create a more liveable environment for Hong Kong. The lists of anti-rodent practices based on information shared by stakeholders from various sectors have been uploaded to the thematic homepage (www.eeb.gov.hk/food/en/our_work/eh2.html).

     The spokesman stressed that effective rodent prevention and control hinges on sustained co-operation between the community and the Government. Various sectors and relevant government departments will continue to consolidate past anti-rodent works, including promoting the Code of Practice for Rodent Management and the Checklists for Anti-rodent Work, as well as conducting publicity and educational activities on rodent prevention and control. The public is encouraged to participate in the anti-rodent actions and prevent rodent infestation by eliminating the three survival conditions of rodents, namely food, harbourage and passages, meaning the elimination of the food sources and hiding places of rodents, as well as blockage of their dispersal routes.

PM chairs review meeting in Morbi


Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired a meeting in Morbi, Gujarat to review the situation in the wake of the unfortunate bridge mishap there.


Prime Minister said that the authorities must stay in touch with the affected families and ensure that they receive all possible help in this tragic hour.


Officials briefed the Prime Minister on the rescue ops and the assistance provided to those affected.


Prime Minister said the need of the hour is to conduct a detailed and extensive inquiry which will identify all aspects relating to this mishap. He also added that the key learnings from the inquiry must be implemented at the earliest. 



Those present at the meeting were CM Bhupendrabhai Patel, MoS Home Harsh Sanghavi, Minister in the Gujarat Government Brijesh Merja, Chief Secretary of Gujarat, State DGP, local Collector, SP,  Inspector General of Police, MLAs and MPs and other officials.


Earlier, upon reaching Morbi, the Prime Minister visited the site of the bridge mishap. He went to the local hospital where the injured are recovering. He also interacted with those involved in rescue and relief work and lauded their fortitude.


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