Hong Kong’s first-time lawmakers have raised fewer questions than their veteran counterparts but recorded a higher attendance rate, a South China Morning Post check has found. Alan Chan Chung-yee, who is also the chief operating officer of Miramar Group, and athlete turned legislator Vivian Kong Man-wai were among those who submitted the fewest questions to…
Hong Kong’s decision to introduce its first five-year plan has prompted familiar questions. Does this signal greater government intervention at the expense of the free market? Will it make Hong Kong’s development model more similar to that of the mainland? Could it overlap with the annual policy address and budget? And without detailed key performance…
Hong Kong’s development minister has vowed to tighten monitoring of contractors and explore harsher penalties for industry misconduct following criticisms that the government’s reliance on their self-supervision was partly to blame for the deadly Tai Po blaze. But Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also defended the current regulatory system, stressing that violations were penalised. “The monitoring system…
Hong Kong delivery company Lalamove and professional services firm EY have joined forces and jumped on the “low-altitude economy” bandwagon in the hopes of expanding their reach in the Greater Bay Area and transforming conventional business. The companies told the South China Morning Post that the collaboration would leverage Lalamove’s logistics platform and EY’s services…
Hong Kong’s legislature has passed a bill providing the legal basis for implementing a “co-location” arrangement at the upgraded Huanggang border crossing following a four-hour meeting, after the city’s security chief said it must be approved by July 31. The passage of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill, which was gazetted on Tuesday,…
Authorities should step up promotion of the new crossing arrangements at the upgraded Huanggang Port checkpoint between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, while ensuring the site has sufficient parking for buses, a lawmaker and a transport sector veteran have said. They issued the call a day after the government tabled the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port…
Hong Kong’s Star Ferry has applied to raise fares by about 30 per cent across its two franchised routes, citing rising operating costs, while proposing a new pet-friendly service between Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui. The operator applied in March to raise fares on its two franchised routes by between HK$0.80 and HK$2 (10…
Hong Kong’s housing authorities have dismissed online rumours that a government-established company set up to acquire flats at fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court is an “empty shell” at risk of bankruptcy, saying it has signed contracts with more than 550 owners. The Housing Bureau said on Monday that claims concerning “Wang Fuk Court Property Rights Acquisition…
The government has a lot on its plate right now, especially with public consultations under way for the chief executive’s last policy address of his current term and for the city’s first five-year plan. But there is an urgent matter it must address as soon as possible. The resignation of William Wong Kam-fai from the…
Tolls at Hong Kong’s three cross-harbour tunnels may need to be adjusted in the future after traffic volumes exceeded pre-reform peaks, 2½ years after time-varying charges were introduced, transport authorities have said. A Transport Department paper submitted to the Legislative Council said tolls would need to remain flexible in the future because queues during some…