Hong Kong’s health minister has rejected claims that authorities favour mainland nurses over local candidates, saying locally trained professionals have “very good chances” of finding work even as public hospitals struggle to recruit. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said on Friday that the Hospital Authority had hired 95 per cent of local applicants for nursing…
Hong Kong will admit “only a few hundred” skilled foreign domestic carers for the elderly annually under a new pilot scheme, the welfare minister has said, promising a “rigorous” approach in response to concerns about possible disruptions to the existing helper market. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han also said on Thursday that…
Hong Kong building maintenance consultants and contractors prosecuted or convicted of integrity-related offences in the past three years will be excluded from pre-qualified lists set up for owners undertaking renovation projects, the development minister has said. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said on Tuesday that applications to join the lists – covering inspection consultants,…
Hong Kong’s first five-year plan will give businesses greater certainty to make long-term investment decisions amid a volatile external environment, the city’s finance chief has said. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said the plan’s targets and timelines would allow companies to see the city’s direction over the next five years and better align their plans…
A new pilot scheme to bring in foreign domestic carers for the elderly to deal with an ageing population could disrupt Hong Kong’s existing helper market, driving up wages and putting care beyond the reach of low-income older residents, some employers and agencies have warned. They said the measure, announced by Chief Executive John Lee…
Foreign domestic carers brought to Hong Kong to look after elderly residents under a proposed government pilot scheme would receive 10 to 20 per cent more pay than existing helpers, the labour minister has said. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han on Friday revealed additional details about the arrangement for foreign domestic carers,…
Talent attracted to Hong Kong under various admission schemes could add about 1.2 per cent to the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) each year, according to the city leader, who said more than half of those reaching the three-year mark were willing to stay. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Friday the government had…
Hong Kong’s redeveloped Huanggang Port could begin operations as early as October 12, allowing cross-border travellers to complete Hong Kong and mainland Chinese immigration procedures in a single inspection under a new joint clearance system. The South China Morning Post learned on Friday that authorities were targeting the date for the launch, although that would…
Hong Kong authorities have rolled out 11 new initiatives to encourage residents to have children, including an expanded cash bonus scheme and a reduced down payment for subsidised housing for parents with newborns. In the latest policy address delivered on Wednesday, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that the HK$20,000 (US$2,550) newborn bonus scheme, expiring…
Hong Kong will be short of 130,000 workers by 2028, about a third less than originally projected, a reduction the city’s labour chief attributed to the development of artificial intelligence and government policies to import labour and top talent. A day after the release of the city’s first five-year plan and annual policy address, Secretary…