Approval letters to be issued to successful applicants under White Form Secondary Market Scheme 2024
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
Following the ballot for the White Form Secondary Market Scheme 2024 (WSM 2024) drawn on April 24, 2025, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will begin issuing Approval and Confirmation Letters tomorrow (October 10) to the successful applicants who have passed detailed vetting of their eligibility.
The HA'sSubsidised Housing Committee endorsed in January 2025 that starting from WSM 2024, the quota will increase significantly by 1500 to 6000. All of the 1500 additional quotas will be allocated to young applicants aged below 40 under the Youth Scheme (WSM) in order to encourage young people to move up the housing ladder. Among the applications received, over 80 per cent came from young applicants opting to join the newly implemented Youth Scheme (WSM), clearly demonstrating that the scheme is well received by young applicants.
"Each successful applicant will be issued with one Approval Letter and two Confirmation Letters. One Confirmation Letter is applicable to the HA's Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Secondary Market, while the other is applicable to the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS)'s Flat-for-Sale Scheme (FFSS) Secondary Market. Within six weeks from the date of issuance, holders of Approval Letters may submit the Confirmation Letters to the HA and/or the HKHS for application for the Certificate of Eligibility to Purchase (CEP) to purchase a flat with the premium not yet paid in the HA's HOS Secondary Market or the HKHS's FFSS Secondary Market," a spokesman for the HA said today (October 9).
"The CEP is valid for 12 months from the date of issuance, and no extension will be granted upon its expiry. To complete the transaction, holders of the CEP need to apply for a Letter of Nomination from the HA or the HKHS after they have entered into a Provisional Agreement for Sale and Purchase (PASP). The applicant and the family member(s) named in the application form must meet the eligibility criteria of WSM 2024 from the submission of the application form up to the date of signing the PASP. Moreover, subsidized sale flats (SSFs) shall be occupied by the owner and all members of the family named in the Application Form for the purchase of the flat," the spokesman said.
The list of successful applications will be uploaded tomorrow to the website for WSM 2024 (www.housingauthority.gov.hk/wsm/2024).
The HA has enhanced the mortgage arrangements for SSFs by extending both the maximum mortgage guarantee period and mortgage repayment period, allowing purchasers to have mortgage loans of longer tenure. The relaxation measures applicable to the secondary market have been implemented since March 1, 2024. Details are available on the website for WSM 2024.
Source: AI-found images
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million
Hong Kong Customs detected two dangerous drugs cases in Tseung Kwan O and Hong Kong International Airport respectively yesterday (May 21) and today (May 22), and seized a total of about 21.8 kilograms of assorted drugs with a total estimated market value of about $7.95 million. Two men and one woman, aged between 38 and 49, were arrested.
In the first case, Customs officers intercepted a 48-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman in Tseung Kwan O during an anti-narcotics operation yesterday afternoon. About 3.8kg of suspected drugs, including ketamine, methamphetamine, etomidate capsules, psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA and a batch of suspected drug packaging paraphernalia were found in their residence in the same district. They were then arrested.
In the second case, a 38-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, today. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 18kg of suspected ketamine inside his check-in suitcase and 33 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarette inside his carry-on baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.
The arrested man and woman in the first case have been jointly charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug and one count of possession of apparatus fit and intended for the inhalation of a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (May 23), while an investigation is ongoing for the second case.
Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.
Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Hong Kong Customs detects two dangerous drugs cases and seizes suspected drugs worth about $7.95 million Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
