STL meets with President of International Union of Marine Insurance
The Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, met with the President of the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), Mr Frédéric Denèfle, and the Secretary General of the IUMI, Mr Lars Lange, today (November 18). Also attending the meeting were the Chairman of the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Development Board (HKMPDB), Dr Moses Cheng, and the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers (HKFI), Ms Selina Lau.
Ms Chan welcomed the visit of leaders of the international marine insurance sector to Hong Kong. She said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government attaches great importance to maintaining close ties with the global maritime industry and actively participates in meetings and exchange activities of the IUMI to keep abreast of the latest developments in the global shipping and marine insurance fields. Over the years, the IUMI has been committed to promoting the professional development and international standards of the global marine insurance industry, and has maintained good collaboration with the industry in Hong Kong. The IUMI established its first Asian hub in Hong Kong in 2016 to enhance support for marine insurance in the Asian region.
She added that following the official establishment of the Hong Kong Shipowners Mutual Assurance Association at the World Maritime Merchants Forum 2025 Government Summit yesterday (November 17), she was pleased to note that the HKMPDB and the IUMI has further signed a Memorandum of Understanding on talent training for the marine insurance industry at an event co-organised by the IUMI and the HKFI during HKMW 2025 today. This will help enhance the industry's alignment with international standards, further elevate Hong Kong's international status in the field of high value-added maritime services, and promote the development of high value-added maritime professional training. In addition, the Maritime Services Traineeship Scheme - Marine Insurance under the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund has been launched to encourage insurance companies and insurance broker companies engaged in marine insurance business to provide internship opportunities for those aspiring to pursue a career in marine insurance.
She added that 11 out of the 12 member associations of the International Group of Protection and Indemnity Clubs provide services in Hong Kong, evidencing the vibrancy and internationalisation of Hong Kong's marine insurance development. Hong Kong's advantages, including the "one country, two systems" principle, a bilingual common law system, a free economy and a simple and low tax regime, make it an ideal city for global maritime service enterprises to set up their businesses and provide quality maritime services for global shipping enterprises. The HKSAR Government will further promote the development of high value-added maritime services with a view to developing Hong Kong into a leading international maritime centre.
STL meets with President of International Union of Marine Insurance Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Re-launch of Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works in New Territories Exempted Houses
Following the direction of earlier proposals, the Buildings Department (BD) announced today (April 1) the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works (UBWs) in New Territories Exempted Houses (NTEHs). The reporting period will last for one year from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
"In view of the history and unique circumstances of the NTEHs (commonly known as village houses), the Government launched a one-off administrative reporting scheme in 2012 as a special arrangement. Under the scheme, owners could report to the BD about UBWs that were erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law. The reporting period ended in December 2012. The Development Bureau (DEVB) put forward proposals to amend the Buildings Ordinance in December 2024, which included rationalising the policy for handling UBWs. The DEVB also pointed out that in response to the views of villagers and Legislative Council members that the reporting period was too short, the Government prepared to re-launch the Reporting Scheme to allow owners who at that time did not report their UBWs to do so," a spokesman for the BD said.
Relevant stakeholders and Legislative Council members generally considered the above proposals practical and feasible, and they welcomed the proposals. The DEVB and the BD have also consulted Heung Yee Kuk on the relevant implementation arrangements.
The re-launched Reporting Scheme will maintain the original criteria, including:
(1) The types of UBWs that can be reported and their erection dates are the same as the original Reporting Scheme, meaning that only UBWs erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law and were not the First Round Targets (Note) are eligible. Examples include signboards projecting from the external walls of village houses; enclosed rooftop structures with a coverage of not more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area of the main building.
(2) Same as the original Reporting Scheme, owners are required to conduct safety inspections on the reported UBWs every five years.
"The BD will not require the immediate removal of the reported UBWs unless their structures become obviously dangerous. Regarding UBWs in village houses, the BD is prioritising the handling of First Round Targets. If any relevant UBWs remain not reported after the application deadline of March 31, 2027, the BD will, after dealing with the First Round Targets, take priority enforcement action against the non-reported UBWs. The BD will formulate enforcement strategy for the reported UBWs at a later stage in accordance with the risks and the actual situation," the spokesman added.
To enhance the efficiency of processing applications, reports must be submitted via the electronic platform on the BD's website by technically competent persons or registered professional engineers appointed by owners. In accordance with the user-pays principle, an administrative fee of $600 is payable for each application. Upon successful reports, owners must also pay the relevant administrative fee when conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years.
Details of the re-launched Reporting Scheme are available on the BD's website at https://www.bd.gov.hk/en/safety-inspection/ubw/UBW-in-new-territories-exempted-houses/index_relaunch_reporting_scheme.html; Villagers who wish to report can call 2626 1616 for enquiry. The BD will also use different channels such as distributing leaflets and posters to Rural Committees to enable villagers to know more about the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme.
Owners who had successfully participated in the Reporting Scheme in 2012 are not required to submit reports again. However, they must continue to comply with the requirements of the original Reporting Scheme, including conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years, submitting safety certificates and paying administrative fees to the BD.
Note: The First Round Targets refer to UBWs with higher potential risks and more serious nature, such as village houses of four storeys or more, and enclosed rooftop structures covering more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area.
Source: AI-found images
