Remarks by SCS at media session
Following are the remarks by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, on the work of civil service pay adjustment at a media session at noon today (May 28):
Reporter: First, following the (initial) findings of the Pay Trend Survey, what's the way forward, and would the Government take into account social sentiment as well as any major single social event when considering pay levels? And secondly, what's the Government's take on setting a cap on the number of civil servants who will be granted or not granted a pay rise?
Secretary for theCivil Service: As in past years, after having the net pay trend indicators, we will do an analysis of the other five factors that the Executive Council has to take into account, and then we will present our analysis to the Executive Council to enable the Council to make an informed, balanced and the most appropriate decision. We will go on doing that. As for social sentiment, I think public reaction or public acceptance of the proposed policy decision is a factor that the Executive Council will take into consideration in making any decision, not only this one. So, this is a given. As for the 5 per cent you mentioned (minimum combined guided percentage for level 4, 5 and 6 ratings under the Performance Appraisal Enhancement Scheme for Civil Servants), the 5 per cent that we give as guidance for departments to follow when they are doing the appraisals, we have considered similar practices in other jurisdictions as well as considered the actual situation in government departments in coming up with this decision and deciding on this percentage.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)
The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, Photo source: reference image
CFS finds trace amount of Enterococci in samples of individual batches of bottled mineral water
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 28) that two samples of bottled mineral water were found to contain trace amount of Enterococci. The CFS is following up on the incident.
A spokesman for the CFS said, "Under its routine Food Surveillance Programme, the CFS collected bottled mineral water samples at retail level for microbiological testing, including tests for Escherichia coli, Coliform bacteria, Enterococci, Spore-forming sulphite-reducing anaerobes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The test results showed that two samples of the individual batches of bottled mineral water below contained Enterococci at a level of one Colony Forming Unit in 250 millilitres, while all other tested parameters (Escherichia coli, coliform bacteria, Spore-forming sulphite-reducing anaerobes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were satisfactory (i.e. not detected).
According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, Enterococci shall not be tested presence in bottled natural mineral water. As a precautionary measure, the CFS has informed the retailers/distributors concerned to stop sales and remove from shelves the affected batches of the products below. The distributors concerned have also initiated voluntary recalls of the affected batches of the products concerned. Members of the public may call the respective hotlines below during office hours for enquiries about the recalls.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: Still Scottish Mountain Water
Brand: Marks & Spencer
Volume: 750ml
Best-before date: December 2026
Distributor: ALF Retail Hong Kong Limited
Hotline: 3656 2253
Product name: LOTTE ICIS Natural Mineral Water 8.0
Brand: Lotte
Volume: 2 litres
Best-before date: September 22, 2027
Distributor: Goldtop Century Ltd
Hotline: 2632 7373
Since January 2026, the CFS has collected 50 samples of bottled drinking water for testing. Apart from the two unsatisfactory samples mentioned above, all other samples passed the tests.
"Enterococci are a group of bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals, generally posing a low risk to healthy individuals. However, certain strains may cause infections in immunocompromised individuals. Members of the public should stop consuming the affected batches of the natural mineral water. Anyone who feels unwell after consuming the products, such as experiencing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or fever etc, should seek medical treatment," a spokesman for the CFS said.
The CFS had alert the trade, and will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.
Source: AI-found images
