Visitor numbers for June set more records
Hong Kong welcomed 1.74 million visitors in June, the Tourism Board announced yesterday. The figure was the highest June total and continued the trend of a record being set every month of the year to date. The first half of the year saw 10.98 million people visit Hong Kong, an increase of 9.6 per cent over the same period last year. The board attributed the increase to the exceptional performance of its long-haul markets, especially Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. It expects visitor numbers to grow further when the Disney theme park opens.
Go green to stay out of the red, producers told
Electronics manufacturers risk having their products banned from EU markets if they do not take urgent steps to comply with the bloc's environmental standards, the Trade Development Council warns. 'It is quite clear that manufacturers either go green or lose it,' said its chief economist, Edward Leung Hoi-kwok. The EU's directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, requiring producers and importers to collect, dispose of and recycle items whose useful life has ended, takes effect on Saturday. Its directive on the restriction of hazardous substances, which bans the use of four metals and two flame retardants, takes effect in July.
18 departments allowed to break freeze on hiring
The government has granted exemptions for 18 departments to hire permanent civil servants since its recruitment freeze was imposed in 2003. The Civil Service Bureau said in a Legislative Council paper that when there was a genuine case for permanent staffing, departments could apply for exceptional recruitment despite the freeze. It repeated that non-civil-service contracts were not aimed a substitute for civil service appointments. The Financial Secretary's Office, police, Correctional Services, Fire Services and Customs and Excise departments were among those exempted.
