Town Gas is proposing to raise its tariffs by 4.6 per cent from April 1. The company said about 70 per cent of households would not have to pay more than HK$10 extra per month after the adjustment and about 50 per cent of non-residential users will not have to pay more than HK$300 extra. It said the rise was proposed due to higher operational costs and there would be no more increases within two years.
The number of mainlanders who settled in Hong Kong through the one-way permit scheme totalled 54,600 last year, an increase of about 26 per cent from 2011, census data shows. In the same period, the number of Hongkongers who emigrated also increased, amounting to 41,600. The changes combined led to a net influx of 13,000 new residents, compared with an outflow of 2,400 in 2011.
A top insurance agent pleaded guilty yesterday to two counts of using copies of false instruments to buy a life insurance and savings plan for Olympics gold medallist Joey Zhuang Yong. Chim Yau-man, 44, sales director in the Midland Financial Group, submitted one forged water bill and one forged HSBC statement to Zurich International Life in 2011, Eastern Court heard. Zhuang won the 100-metre freestyle race for China in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
