'Subsidies may benefit landlords'

Acting Secretary for Transport and Housing Yau Shing-mu said the government had no plans to introduce rent subsidies in a housing market where supply was still tight. If the government hastily introduced rent subsidies for private residential property tenants, it is highly probable this would stimulate rent increases to the benefit of landlords, Yau said. Responding to a legislator's question on measures to assist young people purchase property, Yau said the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) would launch pre-sale of the first batch of about 2,200 new Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats at the end of 2014.

Cyber attack impact limited

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So Kam-leung said recent attempts to hack government websites had caused negligible damage. Responding to a legislator's enquiry on an international hacker group's cyber war codenamed "Operation Hong Kong", So said attacks on government websites had slowed their operations down by significantly increasing traffic. The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) has worked with relevant departments and taken appropriate measures to block the intrusions and restore normal website service.

'Payments all coincidence'

Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) Executive Director Thomas Chan Kui-yuen was asked to explain three HK$12 million payments between defendants in the graft trial of former chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan. Cross-examining Chan on Wednesday, the prosecution brought attention to the three payments: Chan transferred HK$12 million to former Hong Kong stock exchange official Francis Kwan Hung-sang through his company in Singapore in 2007. Kwan later gave HK$12 million to Hui; and SHKP co-chairman Thomas Kwok Ping-kwong gave Chan HK$12 million - in two installments of HK$5 million and HK$7 million - in 2008. Chan said the HK$5 million was his 2008 bonus and HK$7 million was a gift to compensate him for his unfair treatment by Walter Kwok Ping-sheung.

MX fined over cockroaches

Maxim's Caterers Ltd (MX) was fined HK$3,000 for six cockroaches sanitation inspectors found at its Shun Tak Centre MX fast-food restaurant. Following up on customer complaints, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) officers visited the restaurant in May. They found the cockroaches near refrigerators and fish tanks in the kitchen. A representative of the company pleaded guilty to the charge of unsanitary conditions in food premises in Eastern Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

China Daily

(HK Edition 10/23/2014 page7)