LegCo Secretariat Releases Policy Pulse on "Unrivalled Connectivity Where Sea Meets Sky: Consolidating Hong Kong's Status as an International Shipping Centre and Aviation Hub"

LegCo Secretariat releases Policy Pulse on "Unrivalled connectivity where sea meets sky: Consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre and aviation hub"

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

The Legislative Council, Photo by Bastille Post

The "Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China" explicitly supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its role as an international shipping centre and aviation hub. The Legislative Council (LegCo) fully supports the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in formulating Hong Kong's first five-year plan to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. Members have long attached great importance to and discussed the ways to enhance Hong Kong's overall competitiveness in its dual-hub role. In this connection, LegCo Secretariat (the Secretariat) today (May 12) released a Policy Pulse on "Unrivalled connectivity where sea meets sky: Consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre and aviation hub" to provide a concise overview of the initiatives on consolidating this dual-hub role. It also summarises the relevant discussions in LegCo and suggestions by Members.

The Policy Pulse points out that the SAR Government is leveraging the dual engines of high-end services and ultra-efficient network to advance the development of the maritime and aviation industries. On maritime, the Policy Pulse details three key strategies adopted by the SAR Government to build Hong Kong as a "global maritime capital": improving the ecosystem for high value-added maritime services, advancing green shipping and accelerating digitalisation.

At present, there are around 1 200 enterprises in Hong Kong providing high-end maritime services such as port and ship management, brokerage, financing, insurance and legal services. The Government plans to introduce a bill into LegCo in the first half of this year to enhance the tax concessions for the maritime service industry and provide half-rate tax concessions for physical commodity trading, with a view to further promoting the development of high value-added maritime services. The Government also plans to allow vessels to hold dual registration, so as to cater for the diverse operating models of international maritime enterprises.

Members suggested that, in addition to striving to put in place reciprocal tax exemption for shipping income with more countries and regions, the Administration should also leverage Hong Kong's existing advantages in arbitration, insurance and professional services to provide one-stop high-end support services (such as technical standard setting, accreditation, carbon finance, etc) for the local green shipping sector. Regarding the development of a smart port, LegCo's Finance Committee approved a funding of $215 million last year for the development and implementation of the Port Community System (PCS) to provide round-the-clock real-time cargo tracking services for industry stakeholders. Currently, more than 5 000 enterprises have registered to use PCS. On the other hand, Members expressed concern about the financial sustainability of PCS and suggested that competitive charging arrangements should be explored. They also stressed the importance of ensuring PCS to align effectively with similar smart port systems around the world and in the Mainland.

Photo source: reference image

On aviation, the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is one of the world's most important aviation hubs. The Policy Pulse details the multiple development strategies formulated by the Administration. These include actively opening up flight destinations and proactively expanding traffic rights, as well as continuing to improve the intermodal network in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and attracting transit passengers, with a view to further strengthening Hong Kong's role as a bridge between GBA and the global aviation network.

Members urged the SAR Government to seek the support of the Mainland authorities for the inclusion of HKIA in the national civil aviation system and development strategy, and enabling Hong Kong to focus on areas such as global transit, high-end services and institutional innovation. Members also suggested that Hong Kong should use its cultural soft power to attract tourists and business travellers to fly via Hong Kong, and urged the Administration to systematically plan for iconic mega-events and cultural programmes with global influence.

In addition, to fully leverage the opportunities brought about by the Three-Runway System, the Airport Authority Hong Kong is taking forward two major development projects, namely the Airport City and the HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park (HKIALP). The Policy Pulse summarises Members' views on relevant projects. On the Airport City, Members suggested that, in addition to strengthening high-end professional services such as aircraft leasing as well as law and arbitration, high value-added ancillary facilities for art and valuables as well as yacht bay should also be further expanded. Meanwhile, the clearance procedures for high-end consumer groups should be streamlined. On the other hand, Members suggested that the Administration should guide various industries in dovetailing with the development opportunities presented by HKIALP, as well as apply its operational experience to more Mainland cities. The Government is also suggested to actively discuss with the Mainland customs authorities to establish fast tracks for clearance.

The Hong Kong International Airport, Photo source: reference image

The detailed content of "Unrivalled connectivity where sea meets sky: Consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre and aviation hub" is available on the LegCo Website. The Policy Pulse, published by the Council Business Divisions of the LegCo Secretariat, covers specific topics and offers a comprehensive overview of related policy developments and summarises key discussions in LegCo.

Photo source: reference image

DH and Hong Kong Customs carry out joint operation to crack down on illegal online sale and illegal import of controlled anti-obesity injection

To combat the illegal online sale and illegal import of controlled anti-obesity injections, the Department of Health (DH) and Hong Kong Customs carried out a joint enforcement operation yesterday (May 12) in Tin Shui Wai, arresting a 31-year-old woman suspected of illegally selling Part 1 poison and an unregistered pharmaceutical product, and importing a pharmaceutical product not under and in accordance with a licence.

Following up on a complaint, the DH and Hong Kong Customs purchased two boxes of an anti-obesity injection (see photos) from the woman in question via an online social media platform. The product packaging indicated in Japanese that it contains tirzepatide, a substance classified as Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138) (PPO). The product is suspected to be an unregistered pharmaceutical product in Hong Kong.

The DH and Hong Kong Customs will continue to investigate the case, and the arrested person has been released on bail pending further investigation.

Tirzepatide is used for the treatment of obesity, and its side effects include hair loss, nausea and diarrhoea. Medicines containing tirzepatide should be used under a doctor's direction and must be supplied on the premises of an Authorized Seller of Poisons (commonly known as a pharmacy) under the supervision of a registered pharmacist upon a doctor's prescription.

The DH strongly urged members of the public not to self-purchase or consume products of doubtful composition or from unknown sources. Purchasing controlled medicines (including anti-obesity injections) online poses health risks. Besides the lack of a doctor's assessment of an individual's health condition, it is difficult to ascertain the legitimate source of the drugs. It is also impossible to know whether the drugs were properly stored during transportation (especially for drugs requiring cold-chain storage). This leaves their safety, quality and efficacy unguaranteed.

The DH also reminded the public that selling medicines controlled under the PPO illegally, regardless of the sales channel (including online sales platforms, instant messaging applications or social media), carries criminal liability. Do not risk breaking the law.

According to the PPO, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be legally sold in the market. Additionally, pharmaceutical products containing Part 1 poisons could only be sold at the registered premises of a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. If any contravention of the law is suspected, the DH will follow up and carry out enforcement action. After seeking advice from the Department of Justice, prosecutions against relevant persons may be initiated. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years' imprisonment.

Hong Kong Customs reminded the public that under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), import or export of all controlled items(including pharmaceutical products and medicines) must be accompanied by a valid licence issued by the relevant authorities. Any person who brings any controlled item into/out of Hong Kong (whether in person, by post, or through purchasing agents or consolidated consignments) without a valid licence may be prosecuted, in addition to the confiscation of the subject item. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.

The DH reminded the public that all registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the package in the format of "HK-XXXXX". The safety, quality and efficacy of unregistered pharmaceutical products are not guaranteed.

Weight control should be achieved through a balanced diet and appropriate exercise. The public should consult healthcare professionals before consuming any medication for weight control. They may visit the website of the Drug Office of the DH for "Health message on overweight problem and slimming products" for information.

DH and Hong Kong Customs carry out joint operation to crack down on illegal online sale and illegal import of controlled anti-obesity injection Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH and Hong Kong Customs carry out joint operation to crack down on illegal online sale and illegal import of controlled anti-obesity injection Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases