Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing today chaired the 13th meeting of the Task Force on District Governance to follow up on the initiatives assigned by the Steering Committee on District Governance.
The meeting co-ordinated various departments in formulating specific implementation measures on local issues and reviewed ongoing work progress and performance.
Mr Cheuk said: “The Task Force continues to monitor and steer various departments in their efforts to refine policies and measures addressing district issues of all scales, actively responding to social needs so that district services become more effective and more precisely targeted.”
“All departments will continue to uphold the principle of delivering practical outcomes for the people, striving to resolve various livelihood challenges and enhance the effectiveness of district governance,” he added.
The Task Force followed up on the implementation progress and outcomes of 12 district issues managed by various departments.
In terms of community support, as at the end of June 2026, the District Services & Community Care Teams across all districts had visited or reached out to over 121,000 single and two-person elderly households, carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities. More than 4,100 households involving over 4,600 elderly persons or persons with disabilities were referred to receive subsidies for installation of the Care-On-Call device.
To provide sheltered rest areas and encourage the elderly to actively engage with the community, the Leisure & Cultural Services Department has installed 50 sets of covered seating at outdoor venues across 18 districts.
Additionally, as of June this year, approximately 220,000 elderly people have been served by the “Smart Silver” Digital Inclusion Programme for Elders, which was launched by the Digital Policy Office in December 2024. The office will strengthen support for ethnic minorities through initiatives such as digital training programmes, outreach campaigns and the recruitment of ethnic minority volunteers to assist them in mastering digital technology.
Regarding the district environment, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department has completed toilet refurbishment works at 24 markets or cooked food markets. Improvement works for stalls at the Yue Wan Market Cooked Food Centre are underway and are scheduled for completion in December 2026, while projects at the Ap Lei Chau Market Cooked Food Centre and the Luen Wo Hui Market Cooked Food Centre were completed in April and July respectively.
The Highways Department (HyD) continues to enhance the safety and usability of the public footpath network. As of mid-August this year, the department has completed the replacement of paving slabs with concrete surfaces at four locations to enhance durability and mitigate problems such as the loosening or fracturing of paving slabs caused by bearing loads, compression or heavy usage.
Furthermore, the Transport Department, in collaboration with the HyD, the Architectural Services Department and the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, has completed enhancement works at 14 covered public transport interchanges including upgrading lighting fittings and refurbishing walls and ceilings.
Mr Cheuk thanked all departments for their dedicated efforts in advancing the work and achieving notable results in various measures benefitting the public. He urged them to continue closely monitoring district concerns, always put the people first, and understand the needs of society, so that the public can experience the warmth and determination of the Government’s governance.