Hongkongers may have to pay more to use the Aberdeen Tunnel and the Shing Mun Tunnels under a government proposal to raise tolls from HK$5 (64 US cents) to HK$8 to help recoup some of their hefty annual losses, the Post has learned. The tunnels’ current flat fee of HK$5 for all vehicles has remained…
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…
The Hong Kong government will review whether to allow more semi-private secondary schools to offer a non-local curriculum on a self-financing basis, the education minister has said. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin on Wednesday also dismissed a call to let non-locals attend public primary and secondary schools amid a local student population decline, explaining…
Hong Kong’s environment chief has ruled out flexible quarantine arrangements, including at home, for imported cats and dogs, but will consider extending hours and increasing the number of checkpoints for pet transport from mainland China. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan told a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday that existing quarantine facilities are sufficient…
An ongoing pilot scheme for chronic disease screening could help save HK$2.7 billion (US$344 million) in medical expenses if 200,000 people join, Hong Kong authorities have said, with hepatitis B set to be included later. The Health Bureau said on Tuesday that the project would turn into a co-care “platform” and cover more diseases after…
Hong Kong authorities’ hands are tied when it comes to tackling the “ticking time bomb” of the city’s ageing water pipes due to a lack of resources and resistance to disruptions to traffic and supply caused by replacement works, experts have said. Experts and lawmakers told the Post that the city’s high population density and…
Hong Kong’s new stablecoin ordinance, which requires issuers of assets backed by fiat currency to be licensed, is set to take effect on August 1, according to a government announcement on Friday. The city’s Legislative Council passed the bill regulating stablecoins – a type of cryptocurrency backed by a reference asset, usually fiat currencies such…
Hong Kong authorities have proposed a 50 per cent duty on the operators’ net betting profits from basketball gambling, while a public consultation found that 94 per cent of respondents supported legalising such activities. In a paper submitted to the Legislative Council on Thursday, the government said that the existing calculation and collection methods for…
At least 15 students in Hong Kong are suspected to have died by suicide in the first five months of this year, according to the Post’s calculations, with the figure equivalent to about half of the total recorded in 2024. Secretary for Education Christine Choi Yuk-lin is set to discuss student mental health and support…
Mediation training will be offered to property managers in Hong Kong as part of a government pilot scheme, launching next month, to help them better address water seepage complaints from tenants. Some 120 senior property management staff from around 90 private housing estates will be selected to join the pilot programme. Six training sessions will…