4 d. ago Hong Kong lawmakers back criminalising of subletting public rental flats

Hong Kong lawmakers have approved the government’s proposal to criminalise the subletting of public rental flats or the use of such properties for business purposes, with the offence to carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a HK$500,000 (US$63,700) fine. Lawmakers on Wednesday voted on the Housing (Amendment) Bill, which introduces new offences under the Housing Ordinance to combat serious abuse of public flats. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin stressed that the amended law...

Society

6 d. ago Hong Kong lawmakers call for TV stations to show more English

Hong Kong’s broadcast watchdog has been asked to require TV stations to produce more local programmes on their English channels to “tell good Hong Kong stories” to expats and visitors. Stations are permitted to have up to 45 per cent of their English-channel content be in other languages, a threshold some lawmakers said on Monday was too high and at odds with Hong Kong’s role as an international city. Some legislators also urged the government to sponsor TV stations to produce dramas promoting...

Politics

6 d. ago Leeway urged for public housing applicants in Hong Kong to combat ‘lying flat’

A key member of Hong Kong’s Housing Authority has suggested offering some leeway to public rental flat applicants whose incomes are slightly above the threshold to prevent people from “lying flat” and earning less in order to qualify. Cleresa Wong Pie-yue, chairwoman of the authority’s subsidised housing committee, on Monday cited media reports as saying some families waiting for a public rental flat would quit their jobs, switch to part-time work or ask their children to remain unemployed after...

Politics

6 d. ago Hong Kong moves to curb ‘abuse’ of traffic accident compensation

Lawmakers have supported the Hong Kong government’s proposal to significantly reduce the number of compensated sick leave days and daily subsidy available to traffic accident victims, claiming that the move will help prevent future abuses of the system. The legislative panel’s discussion on Monday primarily focused on reviewing the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme. Administered by the Social Welfare Department, the fund provides financial aid to victims of road traffic accidents or...

Events

1 week ago Hong Kong should allow cinemas to host live events to survive: lawmaker

Hong Kong should relax the licensing renewal criteria for cinemas to allow them to host live performances or sports broadcasts, a lawmaker has said, as the city continues to grapple with a slew of theatre closures. Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, who represents sports, performing arts, culture and publication in the legislature, made the suggestion on Thursday after the Golden Harvest cinema at MegaBox shopping centre in Kowloon Bay announced it would be closing down at the end of the week. Fok said that...

Society

1 week ago New Zealand judge gets nod from Hong Kong lawmakers to join top court

Hong Kong’s legislature has endorsed the appointment of a 73-year-old retired New Zealand judge to the city’s top court, the first foreign non-permanent justice to join in over a year amid a number of recent resignations. William Gillow Gibbes Austen Young, who retired as permanent judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand in April 2022 after serving for 12 years, will join five other overseas non-permanent justices from common law jurisdictions at the Court of Final Appeal. Chief Secretary Eric...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong Lawmakers demand infrastructure checks after burst water pipe chaos

Hong Kong’s director of water supplies said leaks in a 47-year-old water pipe in Tuen Mun that caused service suspension and nine-hour traffic disruptions, were difficult to locate because it was deep underground, while lawmakers urged the government to improve its monitoring of ageing infrastructure in older urban areas. Director of Water Supplies Roger Wong Yan-lok told a radio show on Wednesday that the burst water main on Tuen Mun Road the previous night was around 3 metres below...

Events

2 w. ago Are Hong Kong’s penalties tough enough for contractors behind on

Hong Kong lawmakers have questioned whether existing penalties for contractors that fail to ensure workers’ safety are tough enough, pointing to a business that was convicted 77 times over several years but was fined no more than HK$10,000 (US$1,280) on average. The concerns were raised at a Legislative Council meeting on Monday that discussed the ombudsman’s investigation into occupational health and safety. According to the report, labour authorities conducted 74,410 safety inspections at...

Politics

3 w. ago Hong Kong should tap tourism data to fix ‘blind’ industry approach, lawmakers say

Some legislators raise questions over government’s tourism strategy and urge more detailed visitor data.

Society

3 w. ago Hong Kong passes stablecoin law, clearing way for sales to public

Hong Kong lawmakers passed a law on Wednesday that establishes a regulatory regime for stablecoins, paving the way for issuers to obtain licences and sell the digital assets to the public. A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency that is pegged to a specific reserve asset, such as the US dollar or any fiat currency. The Stablecoins Bill passed by the Legislative Council, which will take effect later this year, requires stablecoin issuers in the city to obtain a licence from the Hong Kong...

Politics

3 w. ago Outcry among lawmakers as Hong Kong Ombudsman removes years of archived reports

Records of reports shortened from the previous 10 years to just three, with public access only permitted through written request.

Politics