Banking industry introduces six emergency support measures to assist affected residents of Tai Po fire in overcoming difficulties
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
To assist affected residents of the No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po in overcoming difficulties, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) discussed the follow-up measures with 28 retail banks (including digital banks).
Due to the special circumstances of this fire incident, the banking industry introduces six emergency support measures with immediate effect:
- Establish designated committees, set up dedicated hotlines and enhance information dissemination – All retail banks have today established their respective designated committees led by senior management to coordinate internal resources and guide frontline staff to handle the cases of affected residents with flexibility. Banks have also set up respective 24-hour hotlines dedicated to answering enquiries (seeAnnex), and will provide details and updates of their support measures via branches, websites and social media;
- Provide a six-month pre-approved repayment grace period to alleviate the immediate financial pressure on affected residents – Banks will offer a six-month pre-approved repayment grace period (including principal and interest) for mortgages, personal loans, and credit card loans etc., of affected residents, as well as waivers of related penalties and service charges;
- Extend branch service hours and increase manpower in Tai Po to meet the local needs – All retail banks will extend the opening hours of their branches in Tai Po, providing services from 9am to 5pm on November 29 (Saturday), and from 9am to 1pm on November 30 (Sunday). Service schedules of the following week will be adjusted as necessary based on actual circumstances. Additional staff will also be deployed to relevant branches to understand affected residents'special banking needs;
- Prioritise handling bank account matters and document replacements for affected residents – Banks will assist affected residents or their family members by expediting the processing of related bank accounts, and prioritise helping affected residents to replace banking documents such as ATM cards, credit cards, and debit cards, with flexible collection or direct delivery arrangements;
- Assist affected residents to access liquid funds with flexibility – Banks will provide special assistance to affected residents who cannot present ID or banking documents, enabling them to access liquid funds and continue using other banking services through alternative identification methods.
- Assist in follow-up of insurance claims — All retail banks will proactively contact affected residents who have purchased insurance policies through respective banks to assist them in submitting claims applications.
The HKMA and HKAB once again express profound grief for the deceased in the No. 5 alarm fire in Tai Po and extend the deepest condolences to the affected families. Affected residents can contact banks anytime if they have enquiries or special banking service needs. The banking industry will continue to provide assistance in a timely manner with empathy and flexibility.
At the same time, the HKMA and HKAB would like to take this opportunity to remind the public to stay vigilant at all times to prevent fraudsters from taking advantage of the situation. Whenever receiving calls that claim to be from banks, the public should authenticate the identity of the caller and never disclose personal and bank account information, passwords, or other sensitive information to suspicious individuals.
Photo by Bastille Post
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
