Youth Development Commission Convenes 22nd Meeting, Highlighting New Initiatives to Boost Employment Opportunities for Young People

Youth Development Commission convenes 22nd meeting

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, chaired the 22nd meeting of the Youth Development Commission (YDC) today (August 27).

At the meeting, members were briefed on the work and progress of the six Action Groups set up under the YDC. Furthermore, the Labour Department introduced various measures to promote youth employment. These included the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme (GBA YES), the Youth Employment and Training Programme (YETP) and the Youth Employment Start. Various enhancement measures have been put in place in recent years, such as relaxing the age limit for participants to 29 or below, increasing the allowances provided for enterprises as well as the attachment training allowances for trainees, and launching the GBA Work Experience Attachment Programme to enable young people to gain a better understanding of the development opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and broaden their career prospects.

Mr Chan said, "The Government has been adopting a multipronged approach to support youth employment, and the various enhancement measures have yielded tangible progress. Among others, the number of job vacancies and employed young people in the GBA YES last year increased by 24.5 per cent and 45.6per cent respectively, while the number of trainees applying to the YETP in the programme year 2025/26 represented an increase of 23 per centcompared with the same period in the previous year. We will continue to closely monitor the changes in the economic environment and the labour market, and timely review and enhance the various support measures. At the same time, we will strengthen collaboration among policy bureaux to broaden career development opportunities for young people, with a view to helping them unleash their potential and achieve their aspirations, while injecting a steady stream of vitality into Hong Kong's long-term development."

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki (ninth right), chaired the 22nd meeting of the Youth Development Commission at the Central Government Offices today (August 27). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki (centre), chaired the 22nd meeting of the Youth Development Commission at the Central Government Offices today (August 27). Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for dealing with duty-not-paid cigarettes and importing alternative smoking products

An incoming male passenger was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (August 27) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as importing an alternative smoking product, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO) and the Import and Export Ordinance (IEO).

Customs officers intercepted a 20-year-old incoming Mainland male passenger at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (August 26) and seized 75 000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and 7 600 alternative smoking products, with an estimated market value of about $364,100 and a duty potential of about $247,900 from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Under the IEO, any person who imports an alternative smoking product into Hong Kong commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

An incoming air passenger was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment and fined $2,000 at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (August 27) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes, failing to declare them to Customs officers, as well as importing alternative smoking products, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and the Import and Export Ordinance. Photo shows the duty-not-paid cigarettes and alternative smoking products seized in the case. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases