Today is the 28th day of the last lunar month, so I would like to start off by wishing you all a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year! The Ombudsman’s Awards Scheme was established by the Office of The Ombudsman in 1997. Over the years, a number of departments and colleagues under the Development Bureau have received the awards. Among them is a young engineer, Miss LEE Kit-chun, who received the Ombudsman’s Award for Officers of Public Organisations last year. She works in the Municipal Sector Division of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), providing electrical and mechanical support and maintenance services for municipal facilities, as well as handling public enquiries and complaints. During the COVID-19 outbreaks, she and her team have been committed to supporting the anti-epidemic work. This time, I have invited her to introduce her work and share with us her experience of serving the public with the conviction that “Nothing about people's livelihoods is trivial”......

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has been a cordial partner of the Development Bureau for a long time. Having led the CIC for six years as the Chairman since February 2016, Mr CHAN Ka-kui, KK, will leave office at the end of this month. Under his leadership, the CIC has made enormous contribution in advancing construction innovation, promoting technological application, providing manpower training and building industry solidarity. I am very grateful for his contribution. This time, I have made a special invitation to have KK talk to us about his six eventful years at the CIC, a journey that is anything but ordinary......

With the implementation of the Energizing Kowloon East (EKE) initiative, the old industrial areas in Kowloon East (KE) and the former Kai Tak Airport site have been gradually transformed into a second core business district (CBD) in Hong Kong over a period of nearly 10 years. In addition to increasing commercial floorspace, the initiative also strives to improve the environment in the district, enhance connectivity and create significantly more public open space, providing the public with relaxing sanctuaries among dense commercial buildings. Early last month, the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), LAU Chun-kit, Ricky, and I visited the InPARK on Tsun Yip Street, Kwun Tong. There, the Head of Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO), Amy CHEUNG, shared with us the work of EKEO in enhancing public open space......

Since late last year, the Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir (Ex-SSPSR), commonly known as Mission Hill Service Reservoir, has begun to offer restricted opening to the public for their visits. Although the COVID-19 situation has resulted in the service reservoir being temporarily closed to the public and the guided tours suspended, people interested in the service reservoir can still learn more about its history and features by visiting the website of the Water Supplies Department (WSD) for a virtual tour. Recently, I also invited a WSD colleague to share with us the history of this service reservoir which was built more than a hundred years ago......

Entering 2022, I wish you all good health and every success in the new year. Earlier on, I attended the Urban Renewal Fund (URF) 10th Anniversary Conference. As one of the major highlights of the Urban Renewal Strategy promulgated in 2011, the URF was founded to render assistance to the residents affected by redevelopment projects and to promote heritage preservation and district revitalisation by adopting a “people first, district-based, public participatory” approach to urban renewal. This time, I have invited the Chairman of the Board of the URF, Professor NGAI Sek-yum, Steven, to introduce the work of the URF so as to give us an insight into how connecting, inheriting, co-creating and integrating can be accomplished in residential communities......