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Policy address 2022: 30,000 public housing units to be provided under new housing policy
- 2022-10-19
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: Rex Cheuk、Mei Ching LEE、Nga Ying LAUEdited by: Kiki Lo、Kelly Pang
- 2022-10-19
Solving the housing problem is the government’s top priority, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said in his first policy address today, announcing a new policy to provide 30,000 light public housing units in five years. “To deal with the problem of inadequate accommodation including subdivided flats, we need breakthroughs in housing supply and solutions to address the long-term problem of housing shortage,” Lee said. The “Light Public Housing” scheme allows Hongkongers who have been waiting for public housing units for three years or more to apply for an earlier allocation of the new units featuring basic facilities with lower rent. Lee said priority will be given to family applicants. The new scheme is expected to increase the city’s total public housing supply by 25% and shorten the waiting time by one and a half years by taking into account the total supply of light and traditional public housing. “The target is to cap the waiting time at the existing level of about six years and shorten it to about four and a half years in four years’ time,” Lee said. He added that the authorities will work closely with different government departments in enhancing the quantity, speed, efficiency and quality to shorten the waiting time for public housing. However, the deputy director of the Society of Community Organisation, Sze Lai-shan, said she would like to see a further reduction in waiting time for public housing. “Although reducing the waiting time to four and a half years should already be a challenging task, we hope the waiting time for public housing can be reduced to three years,” said Sze. Wong Kin-yip, 36, a construction worker living in a subdivided unit, is not satisfied with the introduction of light public housing. “The light public housing …
Policy Address 2022: Hong Kong’s new leader announces no new measures to boost international tourism; support for local tourism instead
- 2022-10-19
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- By: Aruzhan ZEINULLA、Le Ha NGUYEN、Angela HuangEdited by: Malick Gai
- 2022-10-19
Hong Kong’s leader John Lee Ka-chiu announced support for existing measures to boost local tourism in his maiden policy address, with no timeline as to when the city will fully reopen to international tourists. The government will allocate HK$600 million (US$76 million) towards the three-year “Cultural and Heritage Sites Local Tour Incentive Scheme” to boost local tourism with an emphasis on cultural and heritage elements, a policy that was also mentioned in this year’s Budget Address. “To re-establish Hong Kong's position as the region's premier travel destination, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will enhance its support for tourism in light of the epidemic development so as to attract more high value-added overnight visitors to Hong Kong,” said Lee. A new round of “Spend-to-Redeem Local Tours” and “Staycation Delights,” campaigns providing the public with guided local tours and hotel staycation discounts, will be launched with an increased quota to enhance local consumption, the chief executive said in his policy address. “I would prefer tourists over government subsidies. There's very little opportunity for sustainable business with just local tourism,” said Amy Overy, the owner of Hong Kong Greeters, a travel agency that provides private tours for tourists. The city is still longing for further relaxation on quarantine requirements to attract mainland and overseas tourists. “HKTB is yet to find any unique elements to promote the city,” said Dave Chan, an instructor from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Chan said the government has been promoting cultural and historical elements but it failed to draw foreign tourists’ interest. Chan added that around half of the travellers arriving in Hong Kong every year come from mainland China but because the border is yet to open, the recovery of the …
Live: Policy Address 2022
- 2022-10-19
- By: Mollie Hib、Jemima BadajosEdited by: Mollie Hib、Jemima Badajos
- 2022-10-19
Follow us for live coverage of Chief Executive John Lee's inaugural policy address 2022. 1:45 PM: John Lee's first policy address has officially ended. Come back for more TYR coverage in the afternoon. 1:44 PM: "I have full confidence in the future of Hong Kong,” says Lee, as he ends his first policy address. 1:40 PM: John Lee surpasses previous Chief Executive Carrie Lam for the longest policy address ever, with the previous time being 2 hours and 39 minutes last year. 1:38 PM: Lee mentions relaxation of Covid-19 measures but did not mention any plans for a "0+0" scheme. This was expected by multiple insiders, considering a possible surge of cases in the winter. 1:36 PM: John Lee is discussing with the mainland to resume normal cross-boundary travel. 1:34 PM: "The greatest impact with the lowest control," commented Lee on the Covid-19 epidemic measures. 1:33 PM: Land will be provided for a new starter project to help more young people buy their first home and provide more youth hostels for young people. 1:31 PM: An annual Hong Kong Youth festival will be begin next year. 1:27 PM: The Home and Youth affairs Bureau will be released the first major document in Hong Kong on nurturing youth development. 1:24 PM: All new teachers in public schools must pass the Basic Law test, to be "role models" for students and will treat misconduct in a "serious manner". They will also be required to participate in mainland study tours. 1:22 PM: All public school have to educate parents on National Security. All publicly-funded schools will organise one or more activities relating to national education for parents every year, said John Lee#policyaddress2022@hkbutyr — Noah Tsang (@TsangHingtsz) October 19, 2022 1:22 PM: To …
Largest outdoor cinema in Hong Kong reopens after one-year closure
- 2022-10-14
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Zimo ZHONGEdited by: Karmen Li
- 2022-10-14
Hong Kong’s biggest outdoor cinema, The Grounds, welcomed guests again on Thursday after Covid-19 rules forced its suspension a year ago. The cinema is at Central AIA Vitality Park. “It’s very challenging to build this event and put it together in Hong Kong. We just try to reopen this cinema as soon as we can,” said Simon Wilson, managing director and co-founder of The Grounds. The government announced a relaxation of social distance measures starting from Oct. 20, including allowing live performances and outdoor eating at some premises such as theme parks. This cinema can accommodate up to 380 people in 100 upgraded private garden pods. The audience can remove face masks in their booths. But only up to four people are allowed in each booth in order to comply with social distancing rules. Guests can order food from a web-based app. The menu offers Vietnamese food, tacos and wines. Three different types of tickets are available, depending on the location and the types of seats, with prices ranging from HK$200 to HK$900. Only classic and nostalgic movies are playing this season, including Forrest Gump and the Harry Potter series. Wilson said that movies in different Languages would be shown this season. The Grounds collaborated with Golden Scene Cinema to start the outdoor shows in 2021, and has shown local movies, including Suk Suk. The cinema is opened for three months each year and the current season will end on Dec. 30. “Actually I have seen today’s movie before. It is a good romantic comedy,” said Angela Shih, who invited four of her friends along. “ We just planned to spend our girls’ night here. I am really excited and looking forward to it.” Wilson said they had a great response in ticket sales, especially for musicals and blockbuster films. …
Live performances to resume in bars, restaurants
- 2022-10-14
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Noah TsangEdited by: Lokman Yuen
- 2022-10-14
The government announced live performances will resume in premises from Oct. 20, as social distancing measures are further relaxed. Live performances and dance shows will be allowed to resume in bars, nightclubs, movie theatres, museums and other indoor areas next Thursday, said Under Secretary for Health, Libby Lee Ha-yun, at a press conference yesterday. Performers must conduct PCR tests twice a week, Lee said. Negative rapid antigen test results remain required before entering the performance venue. Performers should wear masks when performing on stage. Babita Rai, 47, manager of Ned Kelly's Last Stand, a live music venue in Tsim Sha Tsui, said she welcomes the policy. The bar, which has been in operation since 1972, has faced a huge financial loss since 2020, she said. "After Oct 20, we will do everything to recover our loss," Rai said. The maximum number of people per table increased from eight to 12 for food premises and 4 to 6 for bars and nightclubs on Sept 30, 2022.
National Security Law and Covid-19 behind exodus of Hong Kong journalists
- 2022-10-14
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Aruzhan ZEINULLA、Le Ha NGUYENEdited by: Malick Gai
- 2022-10-14
Cliff Buddle, 58, editor and columnist at the South China Morning Post, said farewell to Hong Kong after 28 years and returned to the UK in August. “Leaving the city that means so much to me, it was a very tough decision,” said Buddle. “I recognize that the situation in Hong Kong has changed, and that undeniably had an impact on my decision to leave.” Journalists are reportedly leaving Hong Kong amid an emigration wave blamed on restrictive Covid-19 policies and changes in the political environment following the introduction of the National Security Law in 2020. Mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas arrivals was lifted on Sept 26, but the loosening of Covid policies has come too late for some. “The vast majority of journalists left Hong Kong due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions,” said Keith Richburg, director of journalism at the University of Hong Kong and president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, a group of journalists and non-media professionals whose mission is to promote journalism and defend press freedom. He said correspondents based in Hong Kong and responsible for covering stories in Asia relocated because travel was too restrictive. “It was a bit of a double whammy for Hong Kong to get both the Covid restrictions and the National Security Law coming at the same time,” said Richburg. A survey conducted by Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute found that 97% of 169 professional journalists said the reporting environment has become much worse during 2021. Almost half of the journalists polled said that they were considering leaving the city due to a decline in press freedom, according to a survey conducted by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in 2021. The city’s press freedom rankings since the 1997 handover to China have also been steadily dropping. …
New LeaveHomeSafe arrangement disturb residential students
- 2022-10-11
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Bella DingEdited by: Jayde Cheung
- 2022-10-11
More than 20 students queue up at the residential halls after Hong Kong Baptist University requires the LeaveHomeSafe mobile app, while lifting all other registration requirements and to set foot in the school. Starting from Oct 8, students and staff need to scan the LeaveHomeSafe QR code before entering the university, according to the school's internal email delivered last Monday. The new arrangement replaced the identity verification and health declaration that was used since the start of the pandemic. Vaccination requirement is lifted to attend face-to-face lessons, despite special premises including sport facilities and restaurants. The undergraduate housings firstly started the LeaveHomeSafe system last Friday, together with the existing identity verification system. Only blue code holders are permitted to the hall. “Last time I spent around 15 minutes to get in and then waiting for the elevator for an even longer time,” said Yernar Baltabay, a hall resident. “ People are forced to huddle together.” The undergraduate halls offer 1,770 residences for full-time students. Residents have to record their entrance to the hall by scanning the LeaveHomeSafe QR code, and scan the vaccine pass by a mobile phone app at an appropriate distance and angle. The mobile phone cannot detect vaccine passes sometimes, according to Freya Chan, a hall resident. “Usually you will spend a long time getting the machine to read your QR code. If you move slowly, the queue will start behind you. That is extremely embarrassing,” she said. If the scanning does not work, students need to show their vaccine records to security guards in the hall for confirmation. “We are willing to better serve students using this system, but we now spend more time and energy checking the Vaccine Pass in person, because the machine is not working well,” said the security guard Chan Chung, who …
Foreign Domestic Helpers Under Stress Despite Wage Increase
- 2022-10-11
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Dhuha AL-ZAIDIEdited by: Jayde Cheung
- 2022-10-11
A regular afternoon for some might be spent catching up on errands or perhaps relaxing with the family. At Tamar Park, 14 domestic helpers are working up a sweat under the instruction of 32-year-old personal trainer, Walter Vaz. He has been offering the fitness classes for free since Oct 2 as a way of giving back to the community. "To me, the helpers are the core of Hong Kong. It is unfair that they don't even make a lot of money, or they can't get access to many things. Fitness is about feeling stronger and more confident. This is what I'm trying to bring to people," he said. Among almost 340,000 of them as of June, according to the Hong Kong Free Press, their minimum wage stood at HK$4,630. Approximately 53% are from the Philippines and another 44% percent from Indonesia. The remainder also come from Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal, the Hong Kong Immigration Department reports. Most of them work six days a week, or even more, cleaning their employers’ homes, caring for their children or elderly grandparents. During the pandemic, many helpers have not been able to join their friends on their days off and so adding to the pressure they are under, sometimes at the expense of their mental health. Helper Choice, a foreign domestic helpers employment agency, reported that during the 5th wave of the pandemic this year, 39.6% of domestic helpers felt unhappy about their life, with 22.2% needing emotional support during the pandemic, while over two-thirds fretted over financial issues. Mercylinda Felimon, 45, is a full-time domestic helper from the Philippines. She was looking forward to Walter’s class on Sunday because she thought it might support her mental health. “If I can get an activity for free, I’d rather take that because I can …
Hong Kong Masters snooker event returns after five years
- 2022-10-06
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Lok Yi CHUEdited by: Tiffany Ma
- 2022-10-06
The Hong Kong Masters snooker tournament has returned after a five-year hiatus partly because of the pandemic. Eight world-class players are competing in the championship, and the organisers expect to have an audience occupancy rate of 90% during the four-day event. “We set a new record in snooker history. We have already sold 90% of the tickets in the finals, and we are expecting to see 8,000 to 9,000 people at the Hong Kong Coliseum,” said Law Wing-chung, chairman of the Hong Kong Sports Control Council at a press conference yesterday. This is the first snooker event ever to be held at the Hong Kong Coliseum. Two Hong Kong players— Marco Fu Ka-chun and Ng On-yee, with the world’s top six players— Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, John Higgins, Zhao Xintong, are in the games. However, Zhao Xintong withdrew from the tournament because he tested positive for Covid-19. British player, Mark Williams will replace Zhao in the line up. “I am excited because the event is finally being held in Hong Kong again. I bought the most expensive tickets on the first day of sales, and luckily, I do not have class today,” said Chan Kin-heng, a university student who was waiting to enter the Hong Kong Coliseum at noon. The relaxation of Covid restrictions has made it possible for Hong Kong to host the snooker event again after a lapse of five year. Fans said the size of the audience this year is more than what it was in 2017. “I did not expect so many people to watch the preliminaries today. In the past, only the last day would attract big crowds. There were already people queuing up to enter the venue one hour before the opening,” said Wong-Siu-chau, a retired physical education teacher. “This …
Hong Kong aims to ease COVID-19 border restrictions for tourism
- 2022-10-05
- Society
- The Young Reporter
- By: Subin JOEdited by: Tiffany Ma
- 2022-10-05
A week has passed since the “0+3” scheme ending hotel quarantine kicked in, but many are looking forward to further relaxations of COVID-19 restrictions. “The ‘0+0’ entry requirement is imperative,” Legislative Councillor Michael Tien Puk-su said on an RTHK radio programme on Monday. Tien said he expected the government to drop the three days of medical surveillance for arrivals as early as this week and no later than the third week of October. Hong Kong started “0+3” on Monday with inbound travellers subject to three days of medical surveillance, including not being allowed to enter restaurants, bars and gyms. Arrivals have to wait for their vaccine pass, held in the government app LeaveHome Safe, to turn blue. Nucleic acid PCR tests are required on airport arrival as well as the second, fourth and sixth day along with daily rapid antigen tests, according to the Centre of Health Protection website. “Although Hong Kong has shortened the quarantine period, it is still troublesome for me as I have to scan the LeaveHomeSafe app when visiting designated venues such as restaurants and tourist spots,” Kwack Ho-wook, a student from South Korea, who arrived in Hong Kong last Friday to visit a friend, said. Kwack added he had to buy a more expensive plane ticket due to limited flights. The number of inbound travellers has not significantly increased since the new scheme. Hong Kong Airport recorded 39,283 arrivals last week, about 6,000 visitors more than the previous week. Less than a tenth of the arrivals were not Hong Kong or mainland residents, according to the Immigration Department statistics. Since the pandemic, there has been a decline in travellers with a record 97.4 % drop in the number of visitors in 2021 while the number of arrivals fell from 3.57 million in 2020 to 91,398 …