Latest news with #OverviewPolicy
RTHK
28-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
'Recycling surged even after waste scheme was shelved'
'Recycling surged even after waste scheme was shelved' Tse Chin-wan said there's been unprecedented changes in behaviour towards recycling, despite the shelving of the waste charging scheme last year. Photo: RTHK Environment chief Tse Chin-wan on Wednesday said the public have become more aware of the importance of recycling since the shelving of a planned "pay-as-you-throw" system last year. On RTHK's Overview Policy programme, the minister said while many people agreed the policy should not be introduced at that time, the "controversy and discussions" did lead to big changes in behaviour. "We see that our recyclables in our community recycling network doubled within a short period of time, and the food waste collected even jumped eight-fold," he said. "We also see that this trend is still continuing." Tse added that the amount of waste dumped in landfills has dropped 7.5 percent since John Lee became chief executive. The secretary also said there has been rapid growth in the number of electric vehicles in Hong Kong, with the current 110,000 cars almost eight times the amount five years ago. He said around four in five new cars purchased in Hong Kong are now electric.
RTHK
14-05-2025
- Health
- RTHK
'More HK seniors choosing to retire on the mainland'
'More HK seniors choosing to retire on the mainland' Chris Sun, left, says there are currently 15 care homes in the GBA under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong. Photo: RTHK Hong Kong's welfare chief on Wednesday said more seniors are choosing to spend their retirement in the Greater Bay Area thanks to continuing improvements to a scheme that subsidises elderly welfare recipients living in Guangdong care homes. Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun noted there are currently 15 care homes in the GBA under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong (GDRCS). He noted these facilities provide elderly support, enhanced living spaces and a close proximity to Hong Kong. Sun also said the combination of the mainland's lower medical costs and enhancements to the GDRCS scheme makes retiring in the GBA more financially viable. "We have a plan launching around the middle of the year. For the elderly who joined our GDRCS Scheme, after purchasing medical insurance, the portion they would normally pay out-of-pocket will be covered by the government. For instance, we can cover up to HK$10,000 per year for outpatient care, and up to HK$30,000 per year for hospitalisation if needed," he said. "Since medical costs on the mainland are relatively low, HK$10,000 should suffice for monthly doctor visits and medications for conditions like hypertension, diabetes and lung-related problems. For the HK$30,000 hospitalisation coverage – even in worst-case scenarios, say a fall resulting in a broken bone followed by a stroke requiring an extended hospital stay – this amount should still be sufficient." Sun reported that more than 300 people participated in the scheme as of the end of last year, a notable increase from just over 100 when he took office in mid 2022.
RTHK
30-04-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Local students 'needn't fret over admission chances'
Local students 'needn't fret over admission chances' Christine Choi says there are more school places than the number of school-age students. Photo: RTHK The education chief assured locals they need not worry about their chances of being admitted to schools and universities despite the government's concerted efforts to attract students from overseas. Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme aired on Wednesday, Christine Choi said that even though society requires people with different applied skills, student enrolment numbers have been falling short of retirees every year. Therefore, she said, there is a need to lure in youngsters from outside the SAR into those professions or fields covered by Hong Kong's various talent schemes. But she emphasised that due to a drop in the student population, there are more school places than the number of school-age students. Choi pointed out that due to the latest technological developments and changes in the mode of economic development, vocational education is becoming more important and there is an urgent need to nurture talent with applied skills. Due to geopolitical tensions as well as technological competition, she said, the world is focused on attracting top talent, and Hong Kong needs to build a talent hub. Choi noted that universities in Hong Kong are very international and diversified and have high scientific research standards. As many of the courses are ranked in the top 50 globally and a lot of the world's top professors are in the SAR, Choi believes these twin strengths can help attract overseas students to pursue studies here. She also said that as the SAR is inclined towards interdisciplinary education – for instance, engineering programmes may now incorporate artificial intelligence elements – the planned Northern Metropolis University Town will emphasise inter-institutional and disciplinary cooperation.
RTHK
23-04-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Businesses 'are getting smart over duty-free HK'
Businesses 'are getting smart over duty-free HK' Algernon Yau said Hong Kong's no-duty policy should be attractive to businesses. Photo: RTHK Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau said he thinks people in business are smart over where opportunities lie and Hong Kong's being a tariff-free economy makes it operationally convenient for them. Speaking on RTHK's Overview Policy programme on Wednesday, he said the government will step up promotions as Hong Kong seeks to enter into more free-trade agreements with other economies. Small and medium enterprises, Yau added, need to adjust their operational strategies according to the global situation, and the key to helping them lies in extending Hong Kong's business network. "The business sector is very smart," he said. "People in business are surely aware of where the opportunities are. "Hong Kong is tariff-free. But many economies, many countries, are not." Yau noted that e-commerce firms have been a major source of inspiration for the retail sector. He said smaller local companies can look for opportunities in Belt and Road countries, especially those in the Middle East and Asean. The trade chief stressed that InvestHK has done very well last year in bringing in nearly 10,000 new firms from the mainland and overseas, up around 10 percent from 2023. He said this was a testament to the commerce sector expressing confidence in Hong Kong's business environment.
