Ombudsman Jack Chan Meets NCS Vice Chairman to Discuss Governance and Cooperation in Hong Kong.

Ombudsman meets with Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Vice Chairman of National Commission of Supervision

The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (June 9) met with the Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Vice Chairman of the National Commission of Supervision (NCS), Mr Fu Kui. Leading an NCS delegation to pay an official visit to Hong Kong, Mr Fu called on the Office of The Ombudsman and exchanged views with Mr Chan and the directorate.

At the meeting, Mr Chan outlined the Office's achievements, noting that his three strategic focuses, namely mediation, interdepartmental collaboration and cultivating a positive complaint culture, have all delivered significant results. He highlighted the Office's supervisory role over public administration in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and its commitment to promoting good governance and improving people's livelihood through investigations, recommendations and observations. Mr Chan also mentioned that the Hong Kong International Ombudsman Academy, which was established by the Office through internal resources, actively organises exchange activities locally, across the border and abroad to advocate the concept of maladministration prevention while serving as a bridge between the Mainland and global counterparts. He added that in late 2026, the Office will host the Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA)'s 30th anniversary celebration, including an international forum and the 27th meeting of the AOA's Board of Directors, to further deepen international co-operation and strengthen regional ties. At the meeting, Mr Chan and Mr Fu, both AOA Board members, also exchanged views on the AOA's remarkable accomplishments over the past three decades.

Mr Fu acknowledged and supported the Office's commitment to innovation, reform and the promotion of good governance, especially its effectiveness in addressing public concerns and its important supervisory role in enhancing public administration in the HKSAR. After the meeting, three Assistant Ombudsmen gave the delegation a guided tour of the Office and introduced the key responsibilities of its three major divisions. Mr Fu also took time to engage with the Chief Officers, encouraging them to uphold professionalism while striving to enhance public administration and improve people's livelihood.

Mr Chan expressed his gratitude to Mr Fu for his visit and to the NCS for its ongoing support and guidance for the Office. He reiterated his commitment to continue leading the Office in diligently performing its supervisory functions, while specifically and proactively aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan to drive high-quality development for public benefit. Leveraging Hong Kong's unique advantage of having strong support from the motherland and close connections to the world, the Office will strengthen both domestic co-ordination and international outreach, thereby fostering the sustained development and innovation of the ombudsman system.

Ombudsman meets with Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Vice Chairman of National Commission of Supervision Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman meets with Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Vice Chairman of National Commission of Supervision Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman meets with Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Vice Chairman of National Commission of Supervision Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ombudsman meets with Deputy Secretary of Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Vice Chairman of National Commission of Supervision Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ballot to allocate quotas for allowing dogs to enter permitted food premises on June 12

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (June 9) that a ballot will be conducted this Friday (June 12) to allocate quotas for applications for allowing dogs to enter permitted food premises.

A spokesman for the FEHD said, "The FEHD accepted applications from restaurants for allowing dogs to enter their premises between May 18 and June 8, receiving a total of 2 205 applications. To implement the new measure in a prudent and orderly manner, a quota of not more than 1 000 restaurants is set for the first phase of application. After striking out duplicated, self-withdrawn, and known-to-be ineligible applications (including those without valid restaurant licence and those operating mainly as hotpot/barbecue restaurants), the department will conduct a ballot to allocate the quotas among the remaining 1 615 valid applications."

The ballot will be conducted at 10am on June 12 at the Assembly Hall, 2/F, Lai Chi Kok Government Offices, 19 Lai Wan Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon. The Chairman of Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of the Legislative Council, Mr Chan Hoi-yan, will officiate the ballot as guest of honour. The balloting process will be live-streamed via the FEHD's Facebook page, and both the process and results will be uploaded to the FEHD's dedicated webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html) on the same day. The FEHD will reserve 100 seats for members of the public. Those interested in attending must register in advance by calling 2867 5912 or 2867 2836 on or before June 12 from 9am to 5pm. Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applicants will be notified of the ballot results via SMS. Furthermore, the FEHD will deploy dedicated officers to visit successful food premises on June 16 and 17 to deliver Approval Letters and brief their operators on the statutory requirements, licence conditions and other compliance arrangements. Successful applicants must bring along the Approval Letter and existing original copy of the restaurant licence to any Licence Issuing Offices (Hong Kong and Islands, Kowloon and the New Territories) as listed in the Approval Letter, and pay a fee of $140, on or before June 24, to amend their licences to include the permission. If applicants fail to complete the procedures within the specific period, or withdraw the qualifications for other reasons, the FEHD will arrange other applicants to fill the vacancies according to the sequential order from the ballot result. The FEHD will specify a date in July from which dogs will be allowed to enter permitted food premises. The exact date will be announced in due course.

Source: AI-found images