Employment (Amendment) Bill 2025 gazetted
The Government published the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2025 (the Bill) in the Gazette today (April 11).
The Bill seeks to revise the working hours threshold of the "continuous contract" requirement under the Employment Ordinance (Chapter 57) (EO), making it easier for employees to meet the revised "continuous contract" requirement and thus be able to enjoy comprehensive employment benefits.
A spokesman for the Labour Department said, "The weekly working hours threshold of the 'continuous contract' requirement will be lowered from 18 hours to 17 hours. Moreover, a week with less than 17 working hours will still be regarded as a period under the 'continuous contract' of employment once the sum of the working hours of that week and those of the three weeks immediately preceding it reaches 68 hours. The Labour Advisory Board has reached a consensus on the proposed amendments."
The spokesman added, "The existing eligibility criteria for employees to enjoy various statutory benefits under the EO will remain unchanged. Subject to a smooth passage of the Bill, the amendment ordinance will come into operation on the first Sunday after six months upon its gazettal. During this period, the Labour Department will widely publicise the salient features of the amendments to employers and employees through various channels, facilitating both parties in getting prepared."
The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council (LegCo) for first and second readings on April 16. The Government will fully complement the work of the LegCo in scrutinising the Bill, with a view to seeking the LegCo's support and passage of the Bill.
Government's financial results for eight months ended November 30, 2025
The Government announced today (December 31) its financial results for the eight months ended November 30, 2025.
Expenditure and revenue from April to November 2025 amounted to HK$496.6 billion and HK$371.9 billion respectively, resulting in a deficit of HK$18 billion after taking into account HK$135.2 billion received from issuance of Government Bonds and repayment of HK$28.5 billion principal on Government Bonds.
A Government spokesperson said that the deficit for the period ended November 2025 was lower than that ended October 2025, mainly due to the fact that some major types of revenue including salaries and profits taxes are mostly received towards the end of a financial year. The revised estimates for the current financial year will be published along with the 2026-27 Budget.
The fiscal reserves stood at HK$636.3 billion as at November 30, 2025.
Detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (Note 1)
Month ended
November 30, 2025
HK$ million
Eight months ended
November 30, 2025
HK$ million
Revenue
79,423.6
371,887.3
Expenditure
(57,695.4)
(496,610.4)
Surplus/(Deficit) before issuance
and repayment of
Government Bonds
21,728.2
(124,723.1)
Proceeds received from issuance of Government Bonds
18,614.0
135,169.8
Repayment of
Government Bonds*
(1,590.5)
(28,465.5)
Surplus/(Deficit) after issuance
and repayment of
Government Bonds
38,751.7
(18,018.8)
Financing
Domestic
Banking Sector (Note 2)
(38,533.5)
14,680.8
Non-Banking Sector
(218.2)
3,338.0
External
-
-
Total
(38,751.7)
18,018.8
* Being repayment of principal on Government Bonds and does not include the associated interest and other expenses.
Government Debts as at November 30, 2025 (Note 3)
HK$410,245 million
Debts Guaranteed by Government as at November 30, 2025 (Note 4)
HK$115,251 million
TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES
Month ended
November 30, 2025
HK$ million
Eight months ended
November 30, 2025
HK$ million
Fiscal Reserves at start of period
597,546.3
654,316.8
Consolidated Surplus/(Deficit) after issuance and repayment of Government Bonds
38,751.7
(18,018.8)
Fiscal Reserves at end of period
(Note 5)
636,298.0
636,298.0
Notes :
1. This Account consolidates the General Revenue Account and the following eight Funds: Capital Works Reserve Fund, Capital Investment Fund, Civil Service Pension Reserve Fund, Disaster Relief Fund, Innovation and Technology Fund, Land Fund, Loan Fund and Lotteries Fund. It excludes the Bond Fund, the balance of which is not part of the fiscal reserves. The Bond Fund balance as at November 30, 2025, was HK$170,055 million.
2. Includes transactions with the Exchange Fund and resident banks.
3. The Government Debts, with proceeds credited to the Capital Works Reserve Fund, comprise:
(i) the Green Bonds (equivalent to HK$203,190 million as at November 30, 2025) issued under the Government Sustainable Bond Programme. They were denominated in US dollars (US$11,250 million with maturity from January 2026 to January 2053), euros (5,880 million euros with maturity from February 2026 to November 2041), Renminbi (RMB34,500 million with maturity from February 2026 to July 2054) and Hong Kong dollars (HK$24,500 million with maturity from February 2026 to November 2027);
(ii) the Infrastructure Bonds (equivalent to HK$97,710 million as at November 30, 2025) issued under the Infrastructure Bond Programme. They were denominated in Renminbi (RMB34,500 million with maturity from December 2025 to June 2055) and Hong Kong dollars (HK$59,730 million with maturity from February 2026 to June 2055); and
(iii) the Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$109,345 million (with maturity in October 2027 and October 2028 and may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders) issued under the Infrastructure Bond Programme.
They do not include the outstanding bonds with nominal value of HK$124,194 million and alternative bonds with nominal value of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,786 million as at November 30, 2025) issued under the Government Bond Programme with proceeds credited to the Bond Fund. Of these bonds under the Government Bond Programme (including Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$53,694 million, which may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders), bonds with nominal value of HK$77,094 million will mature within the period from December 2025 to November 2026, and the rest within the period from December 2026 to May 2042.
4. Includes guarantees provided under the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2001, the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2008, the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme launched in 2012, the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Cross-boundary Passenger Transport Trade, the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Battery Electric Taxis and the Loan Guarantee Scheme for Travel Sector launched in 2023, and the commercial loan under Guaranteed Medium Term Note Programme of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited.
5. Includes HK$249,817 million, being the balance of the Land Fund held in the name of "Future Fund", for long-term investments up to December 31, 2030. The Future Fund also includes HK$4,800 million, being one-third of the actual surplus in 2015-16 as top-up.
Photo source: reference image
