DCS chairs 13th meeting of Task Force on District Governance
The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, chaired the 13th meeting of the Task Force on District Governance today (August 25) to follow up on the initiatives in accordance with the work assigned by the Steering Committee on District Governance. The meeting co-ordinated various departments in formulating specific implementation measures on issues of local concern and continuously reviewed the work progress and performance.
Mr Cheuk said, "The Task Force continues to monitor and steer various departments in their efforts to refine policies and measures addressing district issues of all scales, actively responding to social needs so that district services become more effective and more precisely targeted. All departments will continue to uphold the principle of delivering practical outcomes for the people, striving to resolve various livelihood challenges and enhance the effectiveness of district governance."
The Steering Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration has formulated strategies for 12 district issues (Note), including various measures to strengthen community support and improve the local environment, thereby responding to citizens' needs and jointly building a quality living environment. At the meeting, the Task Force followed up on the implementation progress and outcomes of relevant initiatives.
In terms of community support, as at end-June 2026, the District Services and Community Care Teams(Care Teams) in all districts had visited or reached out to over 121 000 singleton and doubleton elderly households, carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities (high-risk households). More than 4 100 households (involving over 4 600 elderly persons or persons with disabilities) were referred by the Care Teams to receive subsidies for installation of the Care-On-Call device. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has installed 50 sets of covered seating at outdoor venues across 18 districts, providing sheltered rest areas for the elderly and helping them to actively engage with the community. In addition, as of June 2026, approximately 220 000 elderly people have been served by the "Smart Silver" Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders launched by the Digital Policy Office (DPO) in December 2024. The DPO will strengthen support for ethnic minorities through initiatives such as digital training programmes, outreach campaigns, and the recruitment of ethnic minority volunteers to assist them in understanding and mastering digital technology.
As regards the district environment, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has completed toilet refurbishment works at 24 markets or cooked food markets. Improvement works for stalls at the Yue Wan Market Cooked Food Centre are currently underway and are scheduled for completion in December 2026. The stall improvement projects at the Ap Lei Chau Market Cooked Food Centre and the Luen Wo Hui Market Cooked Food Centre were completed in April and July 2026 respectively. The Highways Department (HyD) continues to enhance the safety and usability of the public footpath network. As of mid-August 2026, the HyD has completed the replacement of paving slabs with concrete surfaces at four suitable locations to enhance durability and mitigate problems such as the loosening or fracturing of paving slabs caused by bearing loads, compression or heavy usage. Furthermore, the Transport Department, in collaboration with the HyD, the Architectural Services Department, and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, has completed enhancement works at 14 covered public transport interchanges, which include upgrading lighting fittings and refurbishing walls and ceilings.
Mr Cheuk thanked all departments for their dedicated efforts in advancing the above work and achieving notable results in various measures benefitting the public. He urged all departments to continue to closely monitor district concerns, always put the people first, and accurately grasp the actual needs of society, so that the general public can truly experience the warmth and determination of the Government's governance.
Note: The 12 key issues are: (1) expanding after-school care and enhancing support for parents; (2) caring for the elderly and enhancing community support; (3) fostering clean markets and mobilising the community to participate in anti-rodent work; (4) enhancing public order and combating crimes on all fronts; (5) improving pedestrian facilities and ensuring road safety; (6) enhancing the community environment and strengthening local characteristics; (7) improving the environment of public housing estates and creating comfortable homes; (8) caring for the elderly and promoting digital inclusion; (9) improving the waiting environment at public transport interchanges to enhance the travel experience; (10) combating air-conditioner water dripping to improve community environment; (11) cleaning pedestrian walkways to improve city streets; and (12) strengthening thematic planting.
DCS chairs 13th meeting of Task Force on District Governance Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
DCS chairs 13th meeting of Task Force on District Governance Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
