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Budget 2024: Monthly fireworks may have limited effect on tourism but cause air pollution
- 2024-02-28
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: BO Chuxuan、LIU YutongEdited by: Yuqi CHU
- 2024-02-28
Fireworks will be set off every month over Victoria Harbour in the coming year along with drone displays to attract visitors, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced in today’s budget speech. Chan said last year's fireworks displayed along the waterfront in Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai and West Kowloon were all well received. "We will make full use of these valuable resources to provide a more engaging and diverse experience for the public and visitors,” he said. "Regular events are important to tourism," said Professor Chong Tai-leung, 55, executive director of Chinese University’s Lau Chor Tak Institute of Global Economics and Finance. "Monthly fireworks displays are a great way to attract foreign visitors from far and wide." “There are obviously more people visiting Hong Kong, especially on the second day of the Lunar New Year when people gather at Victoria Harbor to admire the fireworks,” said Peter Lo, 62, an electrical engineer, “it almost felt like the traffic flow before the pandemic.” But Lo does not believe that Hong Kong's tourism industry will bring sustained appeal. "There are only a few interesting attractions in Hong Kong, the fireworks won’t attract tourists for a second time." "If it happens every month, I can choose a time that suits me better and avoid the severe rush during the New Year," said Cao Kailuo, 21, a mainland college student who plans to visit Hong Kong during his vacation. Sara Leung, chair of the Hong Kong Tourism Industry Employees General Union, told RTHK that she is not optimistic about fireworks and drone shows because many nearby areas are hosting similar events and visitors will lose the novelty. "In fact, the government doesn't need to spend a lot of money on fireworks displays, they usually get sponsors to host them," Chong said. "For example, last year's …
Budget 2024: Government to increase Care Service Vouchers and Digital Support for Elderly
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: MAO Anqi、LAI Uen LingEdited by: James Ezekiel Kalaw MODESTO
- 2024-02-28
The government will increase the number of vouchers to help elderly people afford in-home care and elderly care centres as well as provide funding for the elderly to learn digital skills. However, local social workers say this fails to address many problems for the elderly. The number of Community Care Service Vouchers, which help the elderly age in place, will increase to 11,000 at a cost of about HK$900 million, said Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in the budget address this morning. From the second quarter of this year, the number of Residential Care Service Vouchers, which help the elderly pay for services in care centres, will increase to 5,000, involving an annual expenditure of about $1.44 billion overall. The government plans to set aside $100 million from the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund to help people aged 60 or above get equipped with digital skills and technical support. At least 50,000 elderly individuals are expected to benefit from the first round of projects, which are expected to begin at the end of 2024. Tony Fung, 30, a social worker at a district health centre in East Kowloon, said the plans mentioned this year are not in line with real problems elderly residents face. “At the centre, we are already teaching our elderly residents how to use smartphones and computers. I hope that the government can help in transforming service centres and update their services,” he said. Fung said the government should assess the waiting time for admissions into elderly care homes and increase expenditure where necessary. The average waiting time for a bedridden person to be admitted to an elderly care home takes around 18 months, Fung said. Cindy Chan, 40, is a social worker at a district health centre in East Kowloon. A 15-year veteran, she hopes …
Budget 2024: People want more supplies towards new births and families with babies
- 2024-02-28
- Business
- By: Subin JOEdited by: Chi On LIU
- 2024-02-28
People are disappointed by the lack of new policies for new births and families with babies in the latest budget speech with the problems of low birth rates and high costs in the city. Shin Yoon Jung, 37, a housewife who anticipates the birth of her child this April, expressed disappointment over this budget proposal. "I am really disappointed that the proposal has no real benefit for a pregnant woman. I think one of the factors behind Hong Kong's low fertility rate is economic factors," Shin said. Although Hong Kong provides a subsidy for those who give birth, the financial support needs to be more adequate even for the costs of diapers and formula under the city's high cost, Shin explained. The Hong Kong SAR government announced in the last policy address that it would provide a one-time cash bonus of HK$20,000 for each baby born after Oct. 25, 2023, with parents who are Hong Kong permanent residents. Bosco Yuen, 21, a single woman, said:“ I think the economic and housing issues most affect Hong Kong people’s fertility.” “It costs more than HKD 20,000 to raise a baby. Buying baby supplies already costs a lot of money.” Yuen added As Shin's child is coming up this April, she was concerned about raising a child in Hong Kong, particularly regarding the economic aspect. Her primary worry revolves around "financial problems." "I am concerned about living with the baby in our current apartment,” Shin said. “My husband and I are looking into expanding our living space, but the thought of paying over a million dollars for a small additional room is quite burdensome." According to World Bank statistics, as of 2020, Hong Kong's total fertility rate was 0.87 births per woman, making it the second lowest among 52 Asian countries. Korea ranked …
Budget 2024: Government to support STEM education with more funding to primary schools
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: NG Natasha Goa Sheng、WONG Hong NiEdited by: KONG Tsz Yuen
- 2024-02-28
The government is going to put more money into promoting STEM education in public schools and universities in Hong Kong, the Financial Secretary said in his budget address this morning. An additional HK$134 million for the provision of subsidies of up to HK$300,000 will be available for each publicly-funded primary school in the next two academic years, Paul Chan Mo-po said. The government will also continue to support STEM internships for university students, a program launched in 2020. Cyrus Wu, 19, an engineering student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said he is personally interested in internships in IT-related industries and it will be very helpful for his future career. “Introducing STEM education helps prepare students for the future. It also allows them to understand and participate in the ever-changing world and provides critical thinking skills for students,” said Li Suen Huen, 20, a university student majoring in computer science. Fong Kin Lung, 48, a secondary school teacher of information and communication technology said, STEM education for primary school students will bring advantages. “Many secondary schools require students to have problem-solving and logical abilities. Therefore, I believe increasing the budget for primary schools’ STEM education will have positive impacts,” said Fong. Justin Lai, 22, practice teacher for two secondary schools, hopes the government will give a better guideline to use this money in the future. “If the government or stakeholders could explain the guidelines for interdisciplinary cooperation more clearly, it would make it easier for us educators to teach STEM to my students,” he said. “The most important thing about STEM knowledge is how students can integrate knowledge from different disciplines, study, think about problems, analyze and disassemble it by themselves,” Lai said.
Budget 2024: Two‑tiered standard rates regime and decreased reduction of salaries tax
- 2024-02-28
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Shuyi、WANG JingEdited by: Yau To LUM
- 2024-02-28
The salaries of taxpayers earning $5 million dollars or more a year will be split into two salary tax bands starting from 2024/25, Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mau-po proposed in today’s budget speech. Their first HK$5 million will be subject to the standard rate of 15 % and any amount exceeding that will be taxed at 16%. “It is expected that the revenue of the Hong Kong Government will increase by about HK$910 million a year as a result,” Chan said. Mak Sui-choi, associate professor of the Department of Accountancy, Economics and Finance of Hong Kong Baptist University said the measure proposed is to aid the government’s financial difficulties. “The two-tiered standard rates regime will not affect the daily life of wealthy people and they account for only around 0.06% of Hong Kong’s population, which will not affect foreign talents to come and work in Hong Kong, ” Mak said. Au Yeung Tat-chor, assistant professor of sociology at Lingnan University said although it makes sense in terms of fiscal fairness to collect more taxes from those with higher annual salaries, it is not a long-term solution for the government to rely on this tax for the bulk of its revenue. “The best solution is to fundamentally change the local salary and income structure, rather than relying on such a policy,” he said. Meanwhile, Chan announced the reduction of salaries tax and tax under personal assessment for the year of assessment 2023-24 by 100%, subject to a ceiling of $3,000. That will benefit about 2.06 million taxpayers. In his speech, Chan mentioned that the basic allowance for children and newborns will remain unchanged at $130,000, unchanged from last year. Chan said that the government had taken into account the economic pressure still faced by some industries and the public, as well …
Budget 2024: Hong Kong government extends subsidy for people waiting for public housing
- 2024-02-28
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: CHAN Wing Yiu、KIM SeojoonEdited by: Aruzhan ZEINULLA
- 2024-02-28
People waiting for public housing will continue to receive monthly government subsidies while the government continues to build new public housing units, Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po said in the budget address today. The cash allowance trial scheme is available to applicants who have been on the waiting list for public rental housing for more than three years. The subsidy amount for individuals is HK$1,300 per month. The average waiting time for public housing in Hong Kong is 5.6 years, according to the Hong Kong Housing Authority. Transitional housing remains insufficient despite 21,000 new units built last year. Many waiting for public housing are forced to live in cramped subdivided flats, the Society for Community Organization reported in a recent survey. Transitional housing is difficult to get, some public housing applicants said. Chan, 67, who declined to use his full name, said he has been rejected for transitional housing twice. “I hope the government can pay more attention to the elderly living in subdivided flats. They are having a hard time,” Chan said. Tse, 59, who declined to use his full name, said he currently resides in a hotel in Yau Ma Tei and pays HK$3,000 a month for rent. Despite being unemployed and receiving government assistance, he cannot get transitional housing due to a shortage of units for single individuals, he said. SOCO has implemented various projects to provide temporary housing to low income people, in areas such as Chai Wan, Tin Hau and Tai Po. “The greatest housing problem is that everything is expensive, including rent, water, and electricity,” said Sze Lai-shan, the deputy director of SOCO. Sze said that extending the monthly subsidies for public housing applicants is positive. Sze said that cash subsidies can be specifically directed toward residents living in subdivided units.
Budget 2024: Hong Kong to Assess Talent Visas while Nurturing Local Talents
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: YANG Haicen、ZHANG YipingEdited by: Juncong SHUAI
- 2024-02-28
The Hong Kong government will put more effort into nurturing local talents while also reviewing existing talent schemes to ensure their effectiveness. The government will organise a summit and a conference in May, aiming at promoting the flow of talent in the Greater Bay Area. More than 140,000 applications have been received under the various talent admission schemes, of which more than 100,000 have been approved in the past year, said Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po in his budget address today. The Top Talent Scheme, launched in 2022, allows people with incomes higher than HK$2.5 million or degrees from eligible universities to apply for residency without employment. This added an estimated HK$34 billion to the economy, equivalent to 1.2% of Hong Kong's GDP, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in a public address in February. Chan said that 60% of immigrant talents were married, and most of them have brought their families to Hong Kong. Lilian Bao, 42, a former executive of a Beijing-based internet company who emigrated to Hong Kong under the talent scheme, now lives with her daughter in Hung Hom. “I immigrated to Hong Kong for my daughter's future education,” she said. “I want her to enjoy a more international, diverse and independent learning and living experience here.” Some doubt the long-term effectiveness of the talent schemes. Some applicants have not complied with the time frame for coming to Hong Kong and securing employment after receiving approval, said legislator Adrian Ho in a Legco meeting in January. Ho also said that some say the scheme is relatively lenient in the work experience requirement and the vetting and approval criteria, making it possible for some people to exploit the scheme to immigrate to Hong Kong. “There are rumours that individual applicants have only come to Hong Kong for …
Technology for Change Asia : new initiatives to make Hong Kong a “smarter city”
- 2024-02-28
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: ZHAO Runtong、LIU YutongEdited by: Juncong SHUAI
- 2024-02-28
An artificial intelligence Supercomputing Centre and a Digital Policy Office will be established in Hong Kong in phases starting this year, along with more than 100 digital government initiatives to be launched. These initiatives were highlighted by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Dong Sun, in his opening speech of the 4th annual Technology for Change Asia event held yesterday, which hosted 300 solution-oriented leaders from across the world. According to Sun, AI technology is “ charting the way” in the process of technological revolution and industry transformation in a new era for Hong Kong. “The AI Supercomputing Centre will help build a resilient digital economy and a Hong Kong that is more welcoming to international investors, which will bring huge economic benefits and allow us to have a ‘Smart City’,” Sun said. “The future is all about AI” “‘Smart City’ means that it can decide which specific problems can be solved by specific technologies,” said Atsuko Okuda, regional director of International Telecommunication Union. “The use of AI technology could contribute to productivity and help improve market efficiency,”said Tom Standage, deputy editor for The Economist. One of the examples is KUDO, the international sponsor for the event, which provides real-time translation. “What we do is enable attendees to watch full text of speeches and panel discussions content in their mother language,” said Nick Blake, head of sales at KUDO Asia-Pacific district. “Thanks to AI, we can translate more than 200 languages for meetings, training and many other situations in Hong Kong from now on.” However, using AI as an ancillary tool for “Smart City” faces potential risks, according to Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia . “AI can convey biased or deceptive information," said Wales. "If Hong Kong wants to build a ‘Smart City’ with the help of AI, it …
Budget Speech 2024 Preview: Tourists want more than free tickets under costly travel
- 2024-02-26
- Business
- By: Runqing LIEdited by: Ji Youn Lee
- 2024-02-26
Tourists expect more favourable policies from the government than free tickets after the “Hello Hong Kong” campaign. The themed campaign was officially launched in early February 2023. Afterwards, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po announced the budget plan for the campaign in his 2023 budget speech as part of an effort to lure back tourists from the world and boost the local economy. Around 500,000 free air tickets were sent to tourists through local airlines, including Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Express, and Hong Kong Airlines, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Sicily Chen, 35, a tourist from Shanghai, travelled to Hong Kong for five days during the Chinese New Year holiday because her husband won a free ticket from Cathay Pacific. The tour cost HK$18,000 in total, including accommodation, transportation, shopping, and other daily costs for Sicily Chen’s family. Sicily Chen said the most considerable portion of expenditure is hotel accommodation expenses, followed by transportation fees. For this year’s budget speech, Sicily Chen hopes the Hong Kong Government can sell three-day or five-day transportation coupons to tourists. “I do not expect free activities again; promotional events with discounts are good enough to attract me,” Chen said. However, not every winner of the free tickets uses the opportunity. Lim Changwoo, 24, a university student in South Korea, gave up coming to Hong Kong after receiving a ticket from Cathay Pacific in October 2023 due to high accommodation expenses. “The prices are around HK$881 per night for hotels near the airport or located in the islands, and it was more expensive to live near Central,” Lim said. “If I can receive cheaper accommodations, I would be more than welcome to come.” While different promotions or holding events attract tourists, it is important for the Hong Kong Government to identify and monitor the …
World’s First Hydrogen-powered Bus Hits the Road
- 2024-02-26
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: XIA Fan、ZHANG YipingEdited by: Wai Sum CHEUNG
- 2024-02-26
Hong Kong’s first hydrogen-powered double-decker bus hit the road on Sunday, marking Citybus’ s first operation of zero-emission vehicles. The bus, running on Route 20, embarked on its first journey at 11 am from Kai Tak and arrived at Cheung Sha Wan Terminal in around 40 minutes. The services ended at 8 pm. “The new hydrogen-powered bus has opened a new page of Hong Kong’s transportation development,” said Anson Li, the operations officer of Route 20. The bus will operate six to eight trips per day along Route 20 on the “Waterloo Road Line” through Kowloon City during its initial month, then gradually expanding the services to Routes 20A and 22M. The bus operated from and refueled at Hong Kong’s first hydrogen refueling station in the West Kowloon Depot. Li said the hydrogen-powered bus can be fully charged in only 10 to 20 minutes, much faster compared to the two to three hours required by an electric bus. Over a hundred bus enthusiasts gathered to experience the rides. Among them, Lee Wan, 23, captured the moments of the last bus returning to the Kai Tak Terminal. After the ride, Wan said that the hydrogen bus was more comfortable, as it ran more smoothly and was quieter. Citybus spent HK$ 8 million on producing the hydrogen double-decker bus, which emits only water after transforming the fuel into electricity to power the vehicle. “To me, I think the production costs are too high. It's well worth being rolled out on a large scale if the price can be lowered as the technology improves,” Wan said. Citybus launched the first electric double-decker bus in 2021. The company pledged to operate a complete fleet of zero-emission buses by 2045.