Land Registry releases Trading Fund Annual Report
The Land Registry (LR) today (October 22) released the Land Registry Trading Fund (LRTF) Annual Report 2024/25.
The Land Registrar, Ms Joyce Tam, said, "Due to an overall decrease in revenue from the registration of documents, reports on titles and e-Alert services, our revenue and profit (including interest income) registered a decrease of 4 per cent to $399.4 million and 42.7 per cent to $10.5 million respectively. The LRTF recorded a negative overall financial return on fixed assets of -12.3 per cent. While the revenue income of the LRTF is susceptible to property market conditions, we responded swiftly to tighten control over the operating expenses and enhance operational effectiveness through reprioritisation, internal redeployment and streamlining of work processes."
Ms Tam said that a significant milestone has been reached in preparing the title registration system (TRS) on the new land first ("New Land First" proposal). The Registration of Titles and Land (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2025 was passed by the Legislative Council (LegCo) in September 2025. The Government plans to submit the relevant subsidiary legislation to the LegCo in 2026, with a view to implementing the TRS for new land in the first half of 2027.
The "New Land First" proposal adopts a pragmatic strategy of resolving simple matters first before tackling the difficult ones, allowing for early benefits from the TRS in terms of better assurance and greater certainty of property titles and simplified conveyancing procedures. The LR anticipates that the experience gained from implementing the system for new land will help stakeholders reach a consensus on its progressive extension to existing land.
The LR has launched Tindy, an AI-driven chatbot on the Integrated Registration Information System Online Services website to provide interactive support for land search enquiries. The LR has also collaborated with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Digital Policy Office to develop application programming interface services for financial institutions, enabling timely access to land records and e-Alert notifications for mortgage documents. These initiatives demonstrate the LR's commitment to driving innovative services, enhancing the property market and supporting digital governance.
The report was tabled in the LegCo today. It can also be viewed or downloaded from the LR's website (www.landreg.gov.hk).
Source: AI-found images
CHP investigates severe paediatric case of COVID-19 infection
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 10) is investigating a severe paediatric case of COVID-19 infection, and appealed the public to observe good personal and environmental hygiene at all times to prevent influenza and other respiratory illnesses. The CHP reminds high-risk individuals to receive initial doses or booster doses of COVID-19 vaccination at appropriate times to minimise the risk of severe disease and death.
Case details
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The case involves a 19-month-old boy with good past health. He developed a fever, runny nose, cough, shortness of breath and stridor on June 4. He was taken to a private clinic for medical attention on the next day (June 5) and was referred to the Accident and Emergency Department of Kwong Wah Hospital, where he was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit for treatment. His respiratory specimen tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was COVID-19 complicated with croup. He remains hospitalised and is currently in critical condition.
The CHP's preliminary investigation revealed that the boy had not received COVID-19 vaccine and had mostly stayed in Hong Kong throughout the incubation period. His three household contacts remain asymptomatic so far.
Government's COVID-19 Vaccination Programme
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"Scientific evidence shows that COVID-19 vaccines are effective in reducing the risk of severe disease and death. Although COVID-19 has become a common respiratory infection in Hong Kong and around the world, certain high-risk individuals, especially young children, who have not received their initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and have not developed immunity through natural infection, face a higher risk of serious complications if they become infected. I would like to specifically remind the public that individuals who have not yet received their initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (including children aged six months or above) should get vaccinated as soon as possible, while high-risk individuals (particularly the elderly and those with underlying comorbidities) should also receive booster dose at appropriate times for effective protection against COVID-19." said the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui.
"According to the latest surveillance data, while the overall local activity of COVID-19 still remains at a relatively low level, slight increases have been recorded continually since early May. The COVID-19 activity levels fluctuate, with an upsurge period generally occurred approximately every six to nine months in recent years. Each upsurge is associated with changes in predominant circulating variants and a decline in community herd immunity. It has been nearly a year since the end of the last periodic upsurge of COVID-19 activity in Hong Kong, and it cannot be ruled out that the overall COVID-19 activity will rise further in the coming one to two months," he added.
The shelf life of the vaccines provided under the Government's COVID-19 Vaccination Programme (the Programme) is going to expire. A new batch of vaccines will arrive in Hong Kong successively in the fourth quarter of 2026. During this transition period, eligible individuals will not be able to receive free COVID-19 vaccines through the Programme for a short period. As such, those in need are advised to make appointments as early as possible. Existing vaccination services will continue until the following dates:
Individuals aged 6 months to 11 years: Vaccination services will be available until July 10, 2026.
Individuals aged 12 or above: Vaccination services will be available until September 5, 2026.
Apart from vaccination, in order to prevent COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory illnesses as well as transmission in the community, the public should maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene at all times and note the following:
Patients can wear surgical masks to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses. Therefore, it is essential for persons who are symptomatic (even with mild symptoms) to wear a surgical mask;
High-risk persons (e.g. persons with underlying medical conditions or persons who are immunocompromised) should wear surgical masks when visiting public places. The general public should also wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
Avoid touching one's eyes, mouth and nose;
Practise hand hygiene frequently, wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
Cover the mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly into a lidded rubbish bin, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
Maintain good indoor ventilation;
Avoid sharing personal items;
When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, consider to refrain from going to work or school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly; and
Maintain a balanced diet, perform physical activity regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.
For more information on the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme and the latest recommendations on vaccine use, please refer to the CHP'swebsite.
Source: AI-found images
