Hong Kong and Guangdong Strengthen Cooperation in Smart City Development at Expert Group Meeting in Guangzhou

Third meeting of Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster held

The Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster (EGSCC) convened its third meeting in Guangzhou today (May 28) to continuously deepen co-operation between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Guangdong Province in smart city development.

The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, and the Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data, Mr Wang Tianguang, who cochaired the meeting, reviewed the work progress and achievements of the Expert Group over the past year. They also discussed and exchanged views on the work plan for the coming year. During the meeting, Hong Kong and Guangdong reviewed the following six work details for the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong smart city cluster, namely:

1. expanding the availability of frequently used public services under Cross-boundary Public Services;

2. exploring more industry applications to achieve smart connectivity;

3. promoting the integration and mutual recognition of modern infrastructure public support capabilities between Hong Kong and Guangdong;

4. accelerating the cross-boundary flow of data elements;

5. exploring the application of AI in more government services and industry sectors; and

6. strengthening the exchanges and co-operation on digitalisation between Hong Kong and Guangdong.

Mr Cheung said in the meeting that following the second meeting of the EGSCC held in Hong Kong last year, members of the Expert Group had dedicated themselves to advancing the related work items. They successfully completed a number of initiatives including the full coverage of the Hong Kong Cross-boundary Public Services self-service kiosks and "iAM Smart" self-registration kiosks across the nine Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; enabling "iAM Smart" users to access "iShenzhen" and use its services through the Unified Identity Authentication Platform of Guangdong Province starting from July 2025; enabling the public to check the passenger and vehicular traffic conditions of the eight land boundary control points of both the Hong Kong side and Guangdong side via hyperlinks at HKeMobility starting from September 2025; and the completion of information technology support for the 15th National Games in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao competition regions under the condition of "zero cybersecurity risk and zero interruption to the operation of events". He encouraged members of the Expert Group to continue their efforts, maintain close co-operation, and actively advance various tasks, thereby making an active contribution to the development of the smart city cluster of Hong Kong and Guangdong.

Officials from relevant bureaux and departments, including the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, and the Transport Department attended the meeting on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Mainland representatives who attended the meeting included officials from the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data, the Cyberspace Administration of Guangdong Province, the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province, the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department, the Department of Natural Resources of Guangdong Province, the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province, the Department of Transport of Guangdong Province, the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, and the Guangdong Communications Administration.

Arranged by the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data, the Hong Kong delegation visited the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Data Special Zone Innovation Cooperation Center, the Guangdong Digital Government Construction and Operation Center (Yuet Gingzai), and the Guangzhou AI Integration and Empowerment Center after the meeting to learn more about the technical solutions used by these three centres to achieve a secure and efficient regional data flow through privacy computing and blockchain technology, the infrastructure that builds the digital government basic foundation and public support platform for Guangdong Province, and AI solutions and contextualised empowerment services in various fields such as government services, healthcare, education and manufacturing.

The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung (second right), and the Hong Kong delegation of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster visit the Guangzhou AI Integration and Empowerment Center in Guangzhou today (May 28). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung (second left), and the Hong Kong delegation of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster visit the Guangdong Digital Government Construction and Operation Center (Yuet Gingzai) in Guangzhou today (May 28). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung (third right), and the Hong Kong delegation of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster visit the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Data Special Zone Innovation Cooperation Center in Guangzhou today (May 28). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, attended the third meeting of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster in Guangzhou today (May 28). Photo shows Mr Cheung (first row, sixth right) with the Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data, Mr Wang Tianguang (first row, sixth left), and other attendees. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, attended the third meeting of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster in Guangzhou today (May 28). Photo shows Mr Cheung (third right) delivering a speech. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Acting Commissioner for Digital Policy, Mr Daniel Cheung, together with representatives from various bureaux/departments, attended the third meeting of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-developing a Smart City Cluster in Guangzhou today (May 28). Photo shows Mr Cheung (fourth left) exchanging views with the Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Government Service and Data, Mr Wang Tianguang (fourth right), on continuously deepening co-operation in smart city development between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Guangdong Province. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Employers and employees should make work arrangements in times of rainstorm warnings

The Labour Department (LD) today (July 20) reminded employers to make prior work arrangements for employees during and after rainstorm warnings and extreme conditions as early as possible. These arrangements not only can ensure the safety of employees and smooth operation of organisations, but also are conducive to maintaining good labour relations.

The Labour Department, Photo source: reference image

Formulate work arrangements

Employers should make prior work arrangements and contingency measures which are reasonable and practical. In drawing up and implementing the relevant arrangements, employers should give prime consideration to employees' safety and the feasibility of employees travelling to and from their workplaces, etc. To avoid unnecessary disputes between employers and employees, employers should ensure that all employees are informed of and agree to the relevant work arrangements in advance. The work arrangements should cover the following areas:

* arrangements in respect of reporting for duty;

* arrangements in respect of early release from work;

* arrangements in respect of work resumption (e.g. the number of hours within which employees should resume duty after the relevant warning signal is cancelled or when extreme conditions come to an end, and when safety and traffic conditions allow);

* arrangements in respect of remote work (if applicable);

*arrangements regarding wages and allowances (e.g. calculation of wages and allowances in respect of reporting for duty); and

* arrangements for staff required to report for duty in times of adverse weather or extreme conditions.

"Employers should conduct an early and realistic assessment of whether there is any need for staff to report for duty at workplaces when rainstorm warning or extreme conditions are in force. In making the assessment, employers should take into account the safety of employees, the business nature, operational needs and urgency of service of their organisations, with due regard to the manpower requirements, staffing establishment and circumstances of individual employees, and keep the number of staff required to report for duty at workplaces to the minimum as far as possible," a spokesman for the LD said.

Work arrangements in times of adverse weather and extreme conditions

If a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is issued within working hours, employees working indoors should continue to work as usual unless it is dangerous to do so. Supervisors of employees working outdoors or in exposed areas should suspend outdoor duties as soon as practicable. They should arrange for their employees to take shelter temporarily and resume duty only when weather conditions permit. If the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal is still in force at the end of working hours, employees should stay in a safe place until the heavy rain has passed. Employers should also make available to employees a suitable area in the workplace as temporary shelter from wind and rain.

If the Government makes an extreme conditions announcement, except for those required to report for duty at workplaces according to prior agreements made with employers, employees should stay where they are or in safe places, instead of heading for work. Employees already on duty at workplaces could continue to work as usual in a safe manner. If the workplaces are in danger, employers should arrange to release staff from work early where practicable and safe to do so or arrange for them to take temporary shelter in a safe place. If working time ends while extreme conditions are still in force, employers can release employees from workplaces in a safe manner or provide a suitable area as temporary shelter for those still at workplaces.

If it is necessary for employees to report for duty at workplaces under adverse weather or extreme conditions, employers should discuss and agree with them in advance the duty arrangements and contingency measures. If public transport is suspended or only maintains a limited service when the Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force, employers should provide safe transport services for employees travelling to and from workplaces, or grant them an additional travelling allowance.

The spokesman also reminded employers to observe the statutory liabilities and requirements under the Employment Ordinance, Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, Employees' Compensation Ordinance and Minimum Wage Ordinance.

Photo by Bastille Post

Comply with requirements of legislation

"Tropical cyclones and rainstorms are natural calamities. If employees are not required to report for duty, or are released from workplaces early, or are unable to report for duty at workplaces or resume work on time, etc due to adverse weather, extreme conditions or other environmental factors beyond their control, employers should not deduct their wages, good attendance bonus, or allowances, nor require employees to compensate subsequently for the loss of working hours in response to the aforementioned situations, or reduce employees' entitlements to annual leave, statutory holidays or rest days under the Employment Ordinance to compensate for the loss of working hours resulting from the issuance of adverse weather warnings or the extreme conditions announcement," the spokesman said.

Employers have an obligation to provide and maintain a safe working environment for their employees under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance. If employees are required to work in times of tropical cyclone warnings, rainstorm warnings or extreme conditions, employers should ensure that the risks at work are reduced as far as reasonably practicable. Moreover, under the Employees' Compensation Ordinance, employers are liable to pay compensation for injuries or deaths incurred when employees are travelling by a direct route from their residence to their workplace, or from their workplace back to their residence after work, four hours before or after working hours on a day when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher, a Red or Black Rainstorm Warning Signal or extreme conditions are in force.

The LD's latest revised "Code of Practice in Times of Adverse Weather and 'Extreme Conditions'" sets out the relevant guidelines in a reader-friendly and concise manner, reiterating the three major principles for formulating work arrangements under adverse weather and extreme conditions, including formulating work arrangements in advance, giving prime consideration to employees' safety, and complying with requirements of labour legislation, and incorporating corporate examples for reference. The booklet can be obtained from branch offices of the Labour Relations Division or downloaded from the department's webpage (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/public/wcp/Rainstorm.pdf).

Photo by Bastille Post