Senior officials may face disciplinary probes if their departments are found to have performed badly by the ombudsman or audit commissioner under the new accountability system being pushed by the Hong Kong government, the civil service minister has said. Speaking at a Legislative Council panel meeting on Monday, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung…
Hong Kong’s bid to be an international education hub is spurring investments in the city’s battered commercial property segment, with hotels being converted to student housing and schools becoming a major driver of leasing in the retail sector, according to analysts. So far this year, investors have spent HK$2.6 billion (US$334 million) in the student…
Three key government departments have been picked to test the use of AI to improve efficiency without incurring additional costs, Hong Kong’s innovation chief has said, urging the public not to equate its usage with job cuts. Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong revealed on Saturday that the Companies Registry, the Transport Department…
Technology capable of detecting when a flat or refrigerator door opens could help Hong Kong authorities remotely check on whether all is well with elderly residents living alone, a minister has said. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also said on Saturday that the government was testing using wearable devices as part of…
Hong Kong authorities have ruled out the possibility of requiring labelling for pre-cooked meals at restaurants, citing the absence of uniform standards and varying interpretations of the concept. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told lawmakers on Thursday that the government would continue to develop standards and certifications for prepared dishes to support the…
The crackdown on public housing abuse in Hong Kong has received broad public support as more rental units were recovered and reassigned to those with genuine need. But as more tenants are evicted for flouting the rules, there have also been calls for greater sensitivity in handling families with special needs. The sad outcome of…
Hong Kong will expedite its push into the autonomous driving sector, with plans to expand vehicle testing to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Port and the Kai Tak development area, the transport chief has said. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Sunday that three autonomous driving projects would enter the testing phase this…
Hong Kong will expedite its push into the autonomous driving sector, with plans to expand vehicle testing to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Port and the Kai Tak development area, the transport chief has said. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Sunday three autonomous driving projects would enter the testing phase this year…
Hong Kong’s leader has ruled out introducing a suspension mechanism for the city’s labour importation scheme or fining employers for abusing the policy, amid calls to further tighten labour rules to mitigate rising unemployment in some sectors. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Sunday that the city was undergoing an economic transformation, but locals…
A new accountability system for senior civil servants aims to strengthen the fitness of government departments and raise public trust in authorities, Hong Kong’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told a radio programme on Saturday that the measure would push department heads to consistently look for areas for improvement, likening the practice…