17 Mar 2023獨媒#6174
LegCo passes HK$14.9 billion funding for Light Public Housing, with only Kong Yuk-fun voting against
「簡約公屋」造價逾260億，立法會財委會今午首先審議其中149億撥款。經過政府發動宣傳攻勢，加上有指中聯辦也落水箍票，大部分議員「歸隊」支持，最終以58票贊成、1票反對、一票棄權通過。會上唯一火花，來自房屋局局長何永賢發言前播放一段宣傳片，狄志遠質疑不用花費拍片，「今日表決都係一面倒，宣傳工作係咪需要呢」；何永賢反擊片段由政助拍攝，「一個仙都無多過！」
Light Public Housing is expected to cost more than HK$26 billion. The Legislative Council’s Finance Committee first considered HK$14.9 billion of the funding this afternoon. Following the government’s publicity campaign, and amid reports that the Liaison Office had also intervened to lobby for votes, most lawmakers fell into line in support. The funding was ultimately passed with 58 votes in favour, one against and one abstention. The only exchange came before Secretary for Housing Ho Wing-yin spoke, when a promotional video was played. Tik Chi-yuen questioned whether the video was necessary given that the vote would be one-sided, asking: “Was the publicity work necessary?” Ho hit back that the video had been filmed by a political assistant and “didn’t cost a single cent more!”
17 Mar 2023獨媒#6175
Government appoints 34 members to Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers; Bernard Chan, Victor Li and SenseTime founder among them
李家超提出重組被前特首棄用的「中央政策組」，並改名為「特首政策組」，旗下設有「特首顧問團」，集中為特首提供策略性發展建議。政府今公布「特首顧問團」由34名委員組成，並分成三組負責不同範疇，任期即日生效至2025年6月30日，比第六屆政府2027年任期為短。顧問團成員包括陳智思、李澤鉅、唐英年、馬時亨、吳光正等不時出現的政商界名字。
John Lee proposed restructuring the Central Policy Unit, which had been left unused by a former chief executive, and renaming it the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit. Under it, the Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers would focus on providing the chief executive with strategic development advice. The government announced today that the council comprises 34 members, divided into three groups covering different areas. Their terms take effect immediately and run until June 30, 2025, shorter than the sixth-term government’s term ending in 2027. Members include Bernard Chan, Victor Li, Henry Tang, Frederick Ma and Peter Woo, among other familiar political and business figures.
16 Mar 2023獨媒#6168
Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office to Become Central Hong Kong and Macao Work Office Directly Under CPC Central Committee; John Lee: Central Has Always Acted for Hong Kong’s Good
新華社報道，中共中央及國務院公布《黨和國家機構改革方案》，宣布組建「中央港澳工作辦公室」即直屬中共黨中央，不再保留單設的國務院港澳事務辦公室，但就「作為黨中央辦事機構，保留國務院港澳事務辦公室牌子」。特區政府表示堅決擁護和支持，行政長官李家超表示「中央從來都是為香港好，為香港市民好」。
Xinhua News Agency reported that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council issued the Party and State Institutional Reform Plan, announcing the establishment of the Central Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, which will be directly under the CPC Central Committee. The separately established State Council Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office will no longer be retained, but its nameplate will be retained as the office of the CPC Central Committee. The HKSAR Government said it firmly supported the arrangements. Chief Executive John Lee said, “The Central Government has always acted for Hong Kong’s good and for the good of Hong Kong people.”
15 Mar 2023獨媒#6163
30% of Chief Executive’s Policy Unit members linked to Our Hong Kong Foundation; two CPPCC members serve as senior researchers
李家超重新為「特首政策組」組班，並向立法會申請撥款擴大編制。過去數月，特首政策組的職位空缺陸續填滿，班底亦漸見清晰，現時19名人員當中有6名是首長級公務員，黃元山是團結香港基金背景，助理組長曾維謙亦是前成員；副組長王春新及關家明都是全國港澳研究會理事。政策組職責之一是政策研究，5名職函屬「研究」的人員中，3人是團結香港基金成員，一人是山西省政協特邀委員，一人是深圳「孔雀計劃」下的專才兼政協。埋單計數，連同黃元山在內共有5名成員，即三成成員與與團結香港基金有關。
Li Ka-chiu has reconstituted the Chief Executive’s Policy Unit and applied to the Legislative Council for funding to expand its establishment. Over the past few months, vacancies in the unit have gradually been filled and its composition has become clearer. Of its 19 personnel, six are directorate civil servants. Wong Yuen-sun has a background in Our Hong Kong Foundation, while Assistant Head Tsang Wai-kin is also a former member. Deputy Heads Chunxin Wang and Ka Ming (1956) Kwan are both directors of the National Hong Kong and Macao Studies Association. One of the unit’s responsibilities is policy research. Of the five personnel whose job titles include “research”, three are members of Our Hong Kong Foundation, one is a specially invited member of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and one is a talent under Shenzhen’s “Peacock Plan” as well as a CPPCC member. Counting Wong Yuen-sun, five members in total—about 30% of the unit—are linked to Our Hong Kong Foundation.
15 Mar 2023獨媒#6165
Tin Shui Wai man arrested over Facebook posts allegedly inciting others to damage estate CCTV
警方拘捕一名36歲男子，他涉嫌在社交網站Facebook 發布帖文及留言，煽惑他人破壞其居住的天水圍區內一個屋苑的閉路電視，干犯「煽惑他人干犯刑事毁壞」罪。
Police arrested a 36-year-old man suspected of posting messages and comments on Facebook inciting others to damage closed-circuit television cameras at an estate in Tin Shui Wai where he lived, committing the offence of inciting another to commit criminal damage.
14 Mar 2023獨媒#6159
Care Teams Open Tender Across Hong Kong Before Two Trial Districts Begin; Government Adds Guidance Allowing Termination at Any Time
去年《施政報告》宣布成立18區關愛隊，惟「試行」的荃灣和南區仍在進行遴選工作、尚未展開工作前，政府昨日公布開放餘下16區作申請。政府亦新增申請指引，如承辦團體表現未如理想、違反資助協議、有大筆款項未動用、政府不同意部分付款項等，有權隨時終止協議，並要求承辦團體退還已獲發放款項。
Last year’s Policy Address announced the establishment of Care Teams in all 18 districts. However, while the selection process for the trial districts of Tsuen Wan and Southern District is still under way and work has yet to begin, the Government announced yesterday that applications would be opened for the remaining 16 districts. The Government has also added application guidelines stating that it may terminate an agreement at any time if the contractor’s performance is unsatisfactory, the funding agreement is breached, a substantial amount of funding remains unused, or the Government does not agree to certain payment items, and may require the contractor to return funds already disbursed.
13 Mar 2023獨媒#6154
Yuen Long light public housing may use nine-year-old report to apply for environmental permit; Conservancy Association questions different development scale
政府擬於元朗錦繡花園旁的攸壆路、新鴻基地產私的人土地，興建2,100伙簡約公屋單位。環保署早前表示，可使用該地在2014年獲批的環評報告申請環境許可證，不需再進行新評估。惟環保團體長春社指，現時待建的簡約公屋項目與2014年新地申建的發展規模大相逕庭，當年時亦沒規劃將屬后海灣濕地緩衝區的項目北部興建住宅，質疑做法是否符合《環評條例》。
The Government plans to build 2,100 light public housing units on private land owned by Sun Hung Kai Properties along Yau Pok Road, beside Fairview Park in Yuen Long. The Environmental Protection Department earlier said the site could use an environmental impact assessment report approved in 2014 to apply for an environmental permit, without conducting a new assessment. The Conservancy Association, however, said the scale of the current light public housing project differs substantially from the development Sun Hung Kai Properties applied for in 2014. It said there had been no plan at the time to build residential units in the northern part of the project, which is within the Deep Bay wetland buffer zone, and questioned whether the approach complies with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance.
11 Mar 2023獨媒#6147
Starry Lee Succeeds Tam Yiu-chung as Hong Kong NPC Standing Committee Member
第十四屆全國人大常委選舉今日舉行，原任的譚耀宗不再續任，由民建聯主席李慧琼接替。她獲2,901票贊成、35票反對及3票棄權下當選。
現任民建聯主席的李慧琼，目前身兼九龍城區議員及立法會議員。48歲的她今屆首次由政協轉戰人大，即出任人大常委。她亦是歷來最年輕的港區人大常委。
The election of members of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress was held today. Incumbent Tam Yiu-chung did not seek re-election and was succeeded by Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong chairwoman Starry Lee, who was elected with 2,901 votes in favour, 35 against and three abstentions.
Lee, the incumbent chairwoman of the DAB, is currently also a Kowloon City District councillor and a Legislative Council member. The 48-year-old moved from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference to the NPC for the first time in this term, becoming a member of the NPC Standing Committee. She is also the youngest Hong Kong member ever elected to the NPC Standing Committee.
10 Mar 2023獨媒#6142
All Sex-Marker Changes on Identity Cards Halted; Immigration Department Reviewing Policy After CFA Ruling
兩名「跨仔」（跨性別男性）代號Q的匿名人士及謝浩霖Henry更改身份證性別一案，上月在終審法院勝訴，未完成完整性別重置手術者也可更改身份證性別，不過入境處暫未公布如何更新政策。近日有已完成整套手術的「跨仔」入紙申請時，職員指所有申請均需暫停，直至入境處完成審視相關規定。一眾跨性別人士只能默默等待，有團體批評處方「一刀切」做法極不合理，亦與終院判決原則不符。入境處回覆《獨媒》表示，正根據終院裁決檢視現行政策，力求在合理時間內完成。
Two transgender men, the anonymous person codenamed Q and Tse Henry EdwardHenry, won a case at the Court of Final Appeal last month, ruling that people who have not completed full sex-reassignment surgery may also change the sex marker on their identity cards. The Immigration Department has not yet announced how it will update its policy. Recently, when transgender men who had completed the full surgery applied, staff said all applications had to be suspended until the department completed its review of the relevant requirements. Transgender people can only wait in silence. A group criticised the department’s “one-size-fits-all” approach as highly unreasonable and inconsistent with the principles of the Court of Final Appeal’s judgment. The Immigration Department told The Independent Media that it was reviewing the existing policy in accordance with the ruling and seeking to complete the process within a reasonable time.
10 Mar 2023獨媒#6144
Xi Jinping unanimously elected state president; John Lee extends warm congratulations
第十四屆全國人大一次會議舉行第三次全體大會，習近平以2,952票贊成，全票連任國家主席及中央軍事委員會主席。行政長官李家超表示，代表香港特區政府和香港同胞對習近平全票當選表示熱烈祝賀。
The third plenary meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress was held. Xi Jinping was re-elected state president and chairman of the Central Military Commission with 2,952 votes in favour, receiving unanimous support. Chief Executive John Lee said he extended warm congratulations on Xi Jinping's unanimous election on behalf of the Hong Kong SAR Government and Hong Kong compatriots.
Translations are supplied by the source workbook. Consult the original reporting for context.
