More than 20 local authorities say the government’s proposed minimum target for accessible housing is not ambitious enough and a higher proportion of accessible housing is achievable. Councils who responded to an Ageing Better survey overwhelmingly agreed that the proposed 40% minimum target put forward as part of reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework…
Hong Kong authorities have formally issued buy-back offer letters to homeowners at the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, giving them until 31 August to decide whether to accept a government buy-back offer under a long-term resettlement plan. The letters were sent to all homeowners on Thursday, including those who had previously said they…
Hong Kong will halve tolls for all commercial vehicles using public tunnels for two months from Sunday, in the government’s latest effort to ease business costs amid surging fuel prices driven by the war in the Middle East. Buses, goods vehicles, light buses and taxis registered with the Transport Department will benefit from the measure,…
You can’t buy happiness, they say. But we “buy” dopamine fixes all the time. Just whip out the smartphone and we easily go down that rabbit hole of endless doom scrolling, falling into the addictive trap of instant gratification, chasing likes, shares, comments and followers as rewards. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key…
Nearly all of the residents of the seven towers engulfed in flames at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court last year returned to their former homes to retrieve their belongings over a 15-day operation that ended on Monday, with police investigating 20 suspected thefts. The government said 6,265 people from 1,674 households took part in the…
More than 240 owners representing over 12 per cent of households at Hong Kong’s fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court petitioned the government-appointed administrator in late April to hold an extraordinary general meeting, saying they might seek legal action if the request was ignored. The owners said in a statement on Tuesday that they would consider applying…
More than 600 defaulters aged 60 and above have failed to repay their student loans under five government financial assistance schemes designed to fund their tertiary and post-secondary studies, with the average amount owed standing at HK$17,400 (US$2,220). In a reply to questions from lawmakers on Wednesday, the Education Bureau said it had recorded 9,838…
A statutory advisory body in Hong Kong will be given new powers as early as June to investigate government department heads over “serious, widespread or systemic” problems, as part of a broader push to institutionalise accountability for top officials. A Civil Service Bureau spokeswoman stressed that the new system targeted “implementation failures” by senior officials,…
Hong Kong authorities have proposed designated laws to streamline procedures for changing land use in the Northern Metropolis megaproject, cutting the process from typically nine months to just two. Unveiled by the Development Bureau on Tuesday, the proposed designated legislation comprises six main subsidiary laws designed to remove bottlenecks in the massive scheme near the…
Hong Kong authorities will announce arrangements this month for residents displaced by the deadly Tai Po blaze to return to their fire-damaged flats and collect personal belongings by the end of April, the city’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka‑chiu on Tuesday also said the government would fully cooperate with an independent committee…