Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) (Amendment) Regulation 2024 to be gazetted Friday
The Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) (Amendment) Regulation 2024 (Amendment Regulation) will be gazetted on Friday (November 15) to amend the Hong Kong Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations (Cap. 448B) to incorporate in the local legislation the latest requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the investigation of civil aviation accidents and incidents.
The major proposed amendments include:
(1) to provide for the entitlements and obligations of non-local representatives investigations and public inquiries conducted in Hong Kong;
(2) to provide for the entitlements and obligations of Hong Kong representatives in non-Hong Kong investigations;
(3) to provide for the operation of the voluntary incident reporting system;
(4) to extend the period during which a person may make a representation to the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) in respect of a draft investigation report from 28 days to 30 days from being served with a notice;
(5) to impose a penalty for the contravention of the requirement to provide information as required by the Chief Inspector of the AAIA, for the obstruction or impediment of the exercise of certain powers or the discharge of certain duties under Cap. 448B, or for failing to comply with certain summons or requisitions;
(6) to provide for extraterritorial effect for certain offences under Cap. 448B to facilitate enforcement; and
(7) to amend the definitions of certain terms and expressions in Cap. 448B to better align with the definitions and interpretations contained in Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "Annex 13 contains the international standards and recommended practices for aircraft accidents and incident investigations, some of which are required by the ICAO to be implemented by Contracting States to the Convention on International Civil Aviation by means of legislation. The aim is to enhance aviation safety by facilitating thorough investigations, determining the causes of accidents or incidents, and making recommendations to prevent similar occurrences in the future. To incorporate the relevant standards promulgated in Annex 13 into the local legislation as far as practicable with reference to the local circumstances and to enhance the effectiveness of the AAIA's investigation protocol, we propose making amendments to Cap. 448B.
"The proposed legislative amendments have made reference to the ICAO documents and legislation in various jurisdictions, including Mainland China, Australia, Canada, Singapore and the United Kingdom," the spokesperson added.
The Amendment Regulation will be tabled at the Legislative Council (LegCo) on November 20 for negative vetting. Subject to scrutiny by the LegCo, the Amendment Regulation will come into effect on a day to be appointed by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics by notice published in the Gazette, with an implementation target in the first half of 2025.
Government publishes report on latest manpower projection
The Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) today (November 14) published the report on the 2023 Manpower Projection. The projection indicates that Hong Kong is expected to face a manpower shortage of 180 000 by 2028.
The Government has been conducting periodic manpower projection (MP) exercises to assess Hong Kong's future manpower supply and requirement trends at a macro level. With 2023 as the base year, the latest round of MP projects the manpower situation five years ahead (i.e. 2028). In addition to overall manpower trends, the report provides a detailed analysis of the manpower situation in 17 selected industries, as well as occupations in demand and essential skills. The 17 selected industries include the eight key areas for the development of Hong Kong as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan (the "eight centres") (Note 1) and nine significant sectors supporting local services and city operations (Note 2). Together, these industries cover over 2.8 million workers or 80 per cent of Hong Kong's workforce and contribute more than 70 per cent of the city's Gross Domestic Product.
In 2023, Hong Kong's economy gradually recovered from the pandemic which led to an increase in manpower demand. However, the local labour force (excluding foreign domestic helpers) had decreased for three consecutive years during the pandemic to 3.5 million, causing a tight labour market with a shortage of approximately 50 000 workers. Most of the selected industries experienced manpower shortages of varying degrees, with more notable gaps observed in some labour-intensive sectors such as construction, city operations, health services, accommodation and food, retail, tourism, as well as in the innovation and technology industry that the Government is actively promoting. Each of these sectors reported a shortage of over 5 000 workers. The manpower situation across selected industries in 2023 is at Annex I.
Hong Kong's economy is projected to grow by 3.2 per cent annually during the projection period, driving sustained high demand for manpower from major industries. By 2028, the local labour force is projected to slightly increase to 3.56 million. The supply of local manpower would nevertheless fall short to meet the rising demand, resulting in a widening manpower shortage of 180 000, an increase of 130 000 from 2023. Due to an ageing workforce and a lack of new entrants, the projection indicates that there would be a severe shortage of "skilled technical workers", accounting for over one-third of the total shortage in 2028. All selected industries are projected to face manpower shortages of varying degrees. The respective shortage of 10 industries would exceed 10 000 workers. The projected manpower situation for the selected industries in 2028 is at Annex II.
Looking ahead, economic restructuring, technology advancement, business automation and digitalisation across industries would alter demand for job roles and skills in the market. Even conventional industries like the legal services and accountancy are embracing digital transformation. Some traditional positions (such as clerical and administrative roles performing routine and mundane tasks) may gradually be replaced by automation. Meanwhile, there would be rising demand for new roles related to digitalised operations (such as artificial intelligence (AI) specialists, data analysts and information technology experts). Therefore, the labour force on the one hand should need to master core skills being sought in the market (such as language proficiency, communication skills, teamwork and problem-solving abilities), but also need to acquire new operational skills (such as e-commerce and AI applications) in response to industry transformations and changes in operational models on an ongoing basis to remain competitive.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, stated, "According to the latest MP findings, there would be severe manpower shortages in Hong Kong in the next five years. The Government and all quarters of the community should collaborate to address this challenge and consider how to put our precious workforce to good use, enhance the quality and quantity of local manpower and increase overall productivity with a view to promoting the high-quality development of Hong Kong. The Government would enhance and expand local training to preserve the competitiveness of the local workforce amidst the rapidly changing market. In facing the challenge of manpower shortages, Hong Kong would continue to import outside talent and labour at an appropriate scale to meet imminent needs."
The 2023 Manpower Projection report has been uploaded to the website of the LWB (www.lwb.gov.hk/en/highlights/manpower_projection/index.html).
Note 1: "eight centres" are an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, an international aviation hub, an international financial centre, an international innovation and technology centre, an international trade centre, an international transportation centre, a regional centre for international legal and dispute resolution services as well as a regional intellectual property trading centre.
Note 2: nine significant sectors are accommodation and food services, city operation, construction industry, education, health services, manufacturing, retail, social services and tourism.
