30 C
Vientiane
Saturday, June 7, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 2219

The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors Building Surveyors Conference 2022  ”Sustainability in Built Asset and Countryside Conservation” Balancing conservation and economic development

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 14 October 2022 – The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors Building Surveying Division hosted the Building Surveyors Conference 2022 at New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel today. Themed “Sustainability in Built Asset and Countryside Conservation”, the Conference gathered around 250 professionals from various government departments, business leaders, experts, and scholars to deliberate on surveying industry prospects. Sr CHEUNG Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council attended the Conference as its Guest of Honour.

The public concern about conservation and sustainability has been increasing in recent years. Meanwhile, the HKSAR Government is also determined to promote ecological conservation and green development. This vision is reflected in the “Northern Metropolis Development Strategy” announced last year at the Policy Address and the expansion of the (then) Environmental Bureau to the Environment and Ecology Bureau.

This Conference gathered speakers from inside and outside the Building Surveying field to share their thoughts and insights on balancing conservation and socio-economic development. It inspired the surveyors to achieve the shared goal of making a better and greener society.

Sr CHEUNG Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman of the Hong Kong Green Building Council noted in his opening address, “The theme of the Building Surveyor Conference 2022 has highlighted timely on the important topic of “Sustainability in Built asset and Countryside Conservation”. To achieve carbon natural before 2050, I wish to advocate to surveyors to design and operate a people-orientated, sharing and ecologically balanced sustainable built environment, including through enhancing the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency in new buildings and retro-commissioning our existing buildings.”

The Conference comprised three sections, namely “Countryside Conservation”, “Green Building”, and “Sustainable Development”. Nine industry leaders, experts and scholars deliberated the industry trends of sustainable development and explored prospects of building surveying profession from all-rounded and professional perspectives. Speakers included

Ms YU Po-mei, Clarice, JP, Director of Buildings, Buildings Department, Hong Kong SAR Government deliberating on “Setting Building Standards for a Sustainable Built Environment”; Mr TSE Cheong-wo, Edward, JP, Director of Architectural Services, Architectural Services Department, Hong Kong SAR Government on “Sustainable and Liveable City: Our Way Out”; Prof TANG Man-bun, Stephen, BBS, Head of Countryside Conservation Office, Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong SAR Government on “Countryside Conservation & Urban-Rural Symbiosis”; Prof LAM Chiu-ying, SBS, Chairman, The Hong Kong Countryside Foundation on “Conservation and Restoration of Natural and Cultural Assets in Hong Kong”; Prof LAM Kin-che, SBS, JP, Adjunct Professor of Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong on “Environmental Impact Assessment of Countryside Development”; Dr Eric WIKRAMANAYAKE, Director of Wildlife and Wetlands, WWF – Hong Kong on “Integrating The Green with The Gray: The Inner Deep Bay Wetland Landscape as A Nature-Based Solution for A Livable, Climate-Resilient Northern Metropolis”; and Mr HO Ho-yin, Patrick, Deputy Head of Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited on “Advancing to Net-Zero Built Asset – Swire Properties’ Strategy and Vision”, and more. It aroused active discussion among the attendees.

Sr CHEUNG Man-to, Arthur, Chairman, HKIS Building Surveying Division mentions, “Surveyors always need to keep pace with time and adopt new technologies and innovative approaches to design an urban built environment in harmony with sustainable development. We can contribute our professions throughout the entire project cycle to enhance the quality of new and existing buildings and strive to achieve sustainability for a better and greener Hong Kong.”

Sr KWOK Pak-wai, Jeffrey, Organising Committee Chairman of HKIS Building Surveyors Conference 2022 notes in his closing speech, “The Conference covered the latest initiatives for sustainable development in different aspects and the direction of the surveying industry in the future. We hope to deliver all-around skills and knowledge to enlighten our participants into achieving our common goal of unleashing Hong Kong’s potential in sustainable development.”

List of speakers (in order of speech delivery)

Prof TANG Man-bun, Stephen, BBS,
Head of Countryside Conservation Office, Environmental Protection Department, HKSAR

Prof LAM Chiu-ying, SBS,
Chairman, The Hong Kong Countryside Foundation

Prof LAM Kin-che, SBS, JP,
Adjunct Professor of Department of Geography and Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Ms YU Po-mei, Clarice, JP,
Director of Buildings, Buildings Department, HKSAR

Mr TSE Cheong-wo, Edward, JP,
Director of Architectural Services, Architectural Services Department, HKSAR

Ir LEUNG Chi-fung,
Director – Operations, Business Environment Council Limited

Dr Eric WIKRAMANAYAKE,
Director of Wildlife and Wetlands, WWF – Hong Kong

Mr HO Ho-yin, Patrick,
Deputy Head of Sustainable Development, Swire Properties Limited

Ir Dr CHAN Wing-hong, Cary, JP,
Executive Director, Hong Kong Green Building Council

List of speakers and topics is downloadable here.
Conference Booklet is downloadable here.
High-resolution event photos are downloadable here.

Photo Captions:

001 Sr CHEUNG Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman, Hong Kong Green Building Council (3rd from Left); Sr CHEUNG Man-to, Arthur, Chairman, HKIS Building Surveying Division (2nd from Right); Sr CHIU Kam-kuen, President, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (3rd from Right) and HKIS Office Bearers gathered at the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors Building Surveyors Conference 2022.
002 Sr Cheung Hau-wai, SBS, Chairman, Hong Kong Green Building Council attended the Conference as the Guest of Honour.
003 Sr CHEUNG Man-to, Arthur, Chairman, HKIS Building Surveying Division delivered the opening speech.
004 The Conference is conducted physically this year, receiving enthusiastic participation.

Hashtag: #HongKongInstituteofSurveyors #HKIS

About the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors

Established in 1984, The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) is the only surveying professional body incorporated by ordinance in Hong Kong. As of 14 October 2022, the number of members reached 10,780, of which 7,616 were corporate members, 62 were associate members and 3,102 were probationers and students. HKIS work includes setting standards for professional services and performance, establishing codes of ethics, determining requirements for admission as professional surveyors, and encouraging members to upgrade skills through continuing professional development.

The Institute has an important consultative role in government policy making and on issues affecting the profession. We have advised the government on issues such as building safety and unauthorized building works, problems of property management, town planning and development strategies, construction quality and housing problems. We have also issued guidance notes on floor area measurement, real estates valuation and land boundary survey, etc.

Please visit our official website:
Facebook Page:

About Building Surveying Division

Established in 1985, Building Surveying Division (BSD) is one of six divisions of the HKIS. The total number of professional building surveyors as at Oct 2022 has increased to 1,595 from 119 since the establishment. In the past 36 years, the Division organized many conferences and visits, and issued a number of publications to promote the service and image of building surveying profession.

Professional building surveyors are qualified by professional assessments with prescribed practical training. We uphold the stringent professional standards of HKIS, which require a high level of service and efficiency as well as compliance with a strict code of professional conduct.

Dominica Adopts TRON as “National Blockchain”, Setting a Path for More to Follow

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Media OutReach – 14 October 2022 – The recent high-level collaboration between TRON and the Caribbean island country Dominica marks a crucial breakthrough in the history of blockchain. It is also expected to pioneer a model for sovereign states to develop the blockchain industry.

Caption

On October 7 (AST), the Government of Dominica announced on its official website that it had entered into an agreement with TRON, appointing TRON Protocol as its designated national blockchain infrastructure. Meanwhile, TRON has obtained the government’s endorsement to issue Dominica Coin (DMC), a blockchain-based fan token, to promote Dominica’s global fanfare for its natural heritage and tourist attractions while boosting its economic growth. This agreement is, to date, the highest level of cooperation between a sovereign state and a blockchain platform, which cements TRON’s legal status as the national blockchain infrastructure of Dominica. Industry experts thought highly of this move and believed that such an alliance will provide an excellent model for small and medium economies to develop the digital economy.

Roosevelt Skerrit, Prime Minister of Dominica, set a high value on this partnership. According to him, the Government of Dominica has been committed to building a more inclusive and diversified economy with the help of new technologies. Benefiting from TRON’s openness and cost-effectiveness, Small Island Developing States such as Dominica will be better integrated into the global economy in the future.

An island country in the Caribbean region, Dominica is member of several regional organizations including the Caribbean Community, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Association of Caribbean States, and the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas. It has an economy based on agriculture and tourism and shows huge untapped potential. As the Caribbean rises to be a star region for global blockchain adoption, countries here have been actively embracing blockchain and cryptocurrency one after another, and Dominica is no exception. This May, the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Dominica passed the Virtual Assets Business Act. It is believed by local officials that the bill will create fresh opportunities for employment, trade, and investment, catalyzing economic transformation and all-round development for Dominica.

However, it is challenging for small and medium economies with limited technological power to develop blockchain and cryptocurrency on their own. This is testified by the failure of Sango Coin issued by the Central African Republic (CAR) this year: only 5% of the supply was sold after the token launch, according to Reuters.

Working with prestigious blockchains, which have enormous user bases and state-of-the-art technology, may be the best way for these countries to embrace cryptocurrency and blockchain at large.

The statement by Dominica describes TRON Protocol as one of the leading global blockchain platforms renowned for its efficient and cost-effective crypto settlement system. Statistics show that TRON is one of the world’s three largest public chains. As of writing this article, its number of users has exceeded 115 million with over 4 billion transactions and more than $50 billion assets on the blockchain. Therefore, this cooperation will allow TRON to assist the Government of Dominica in technological development and crypto user acquisition with its expertise and experience in the digital economy.

Moreover, the Virtual Asset Business Act was drafted with the support of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), which means that the cooperation is likely to open a gate for TRON to enter the Caribbean, facilitating the region’s infrastructure construction needed for the digital economy. The promising prospect of Dominica may be replicated in more Caribbean countries.

TRON and its founder Justin Sun have long been concerned about the digital transformation of Caribbean countries. He was appointed the new Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Government of Grenada to the WTO at the end of 2021, and in June 2022, he attended the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva, Switzerland as head of the Grenada delegation. Sun stated at the conference that blockchain and stablecoins can empower trade, e-commerce, and many other industries, and that blockchain and crypto technologies can inject impetus into the economies of Small Island Developing States in the Caribbean region. As TRON furthers its partnership with sovereign states such as Grenada and Dominica, Sun’s vision of driving economic growth for small and medium economies and achieving financial inclusivity with blockchain and crypto technologies is becoming a reality.

Founded by Justin Sun in 2017, TRON is dedicated to building the next-generation infrastructure for the global Internet and finance. It is believed to be one of the largest and most active communities in the blockchain world. The TRON blockchain is one of the world’s three largest public chains today. In addition to the public chain, TRON’s comprehensive blockchain ecosystem also covers the NFT, DeFi, and distributed storage protocol, among others. Its aim is to become a mainstream financial service provider, according to Sun’s plan.

Hashtag: #TRONDAO

Japan Supports Promotion of Disability-Inclusive Communities in Laos

The Government of Japan has provided grant assistance worth USD 321,573 to support the promotion of disability-inclusive communities in Laos.

Tropical Depression to Cause Rainfall in Southern and Central Laos This Weekend

Tropical depression is approaching from South China Sea.

The department of Meteorology and Hydrology has issued a warning for heavy rains as a tropical depression that originated in the south China sea is likely to hit parts of Laos between 14-15 October.

Huge Amount of Drugs Destroyed on Anti-Drug Day in Savannakhet

A considerable amount of drugs have been destroyed in Savannakhet.

Savannakhet Police Headquarters got rid of the drugs during a national anti-drug day event on Wednesday.

Mekong Tourism Forum Concludes with Great Hope for the Future

All Smiles: Organizers of the Mekong Tourism Forum pose for a photo.

The Mekong Tourism Forum 2022 (MTF) was held this week on 12-13 October to highlight the profile of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) as a unified tourist destination. 

Prince Holding Group Voted as Top 20 Favorite Companies

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA – Media OutReach – 14 October 2022 – Prince Holding Group, one of Cambodia’s largest business groups, is pleased to announce that it was selected as one of 20 companies to receive the 2022 People’s Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite Companies. Among conglomerates winners across 67 markets, Prince Holding Group stood out, within a poll of 53,000 corporate representatives, for its business performance, philanthropic work and anti-epidemic response last year in Cambodia.

Neak Oknha Chen Zhi, chairman of Prince Holding Group, is proud to been voted as Top 20 Favorite Companies in 2022 People’s Choice Stevie Awards among conglomerates winners across 67 markets.
Neak Oknha Chen Zhi, chairman of Prince Holding Group, is proud to been voted as Top 20 Favorite Companies in 2022 People’s Choice Stevie Awards among conglomerates winners across 67 markets.

“We believe in the impact that corporates can make for the communities surrounding its businesses, and that public-private partnerships hold the key responsibility in aiding the social and economic recovery as we continue to build a better life for the people we serve,” said Gabriel Tan, Chief Communications Officer of Prince Holding Group.

With total assets under management exceeding US$2 billion across various projects in real estate, financial services and consumer services, Prince Holding Group is part of the rising wave of socially responsible corporates in Cambodia that publish their annual reports detailing their CSR activities.

Earlier in the year, Neak Oknha Chen Zhi, chairman of Prince Holding Group, had also been recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year – Conglomerates (Cambodia) for the second consecutive year by the International Business Awards, for successfully building a multi-sector business group that has witnessed rapid growth through acquisitions and partnerships.

Hashtag: #PrinceHoldingGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Prince Holding Group:

Prince Holding Group is one of Cambodia’s largest business groups spanning across real estate development, financial services and consumer services.

Prince Holding Group’s key business units in Cambodia include Prince Real Estate Group, Prince Huan Yu Real Estate Group, Prince Bank, Cambodia Airways, Belt Road Capital Management, as well as Awesome Global Investment Group. Via its subsidiaries, Prince Holding Group has over 100 businesses in Cambodia operating in real estate development, banking, finance, aviation, tourism, logistics, technology, food and beverages, and lifestyle sectors etc.

Leveraging a network of industrial, business and financial professionals across Asia, Prince Holding Group is firmly committed to the long-term development of Cambodia.

Moving forward, Prince Holding Group will continue to seek out opportunities to play an important role in Cambodia, through partnerships or direct investments into key industries for the betterment of Cambodians and the local economy.

Hong Kong’s first survey on children’s sense of touch: Close to 70% of parents concerned about children’s stunted growth from deprivation of physical touch

Reckitt Benckiser and its brand Dettol promote Global Handwashing Day and support over 10,000 families in need to ‘Seize the Childhood and Keep On to Protect Our Future’

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 14 October 2022 – The sense of touch is the primary way young children bond with their parents and peers. It is also through physical touch that they learn and explore the world around them. From the first of its kind ‘Hong Kong Children’s Touch Survey’[1] conducted by Reckitt and its brand Dettol, it revealed that the deprivation of touch during the pandemic has led to varying degrees of impact on the early development of young children in Hong Kong. In response to the Global Handwashing Day on 15 October[2], Dettol actively promotes the importance of maintaining personal hygiene amongst parents and their children. Working with its network of Hong Kong charity partners[3], Reckitt is donating Dettol products to over 10,000 families in need to ‘Seize the Childhood and Keep On to Protect Our Future’.

Life without touch hampers early development of Hong Kong children sparking concern of close to 70% parents

Hygiene concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to drastically reduced children’s exposure to the outside world. This was corroborated by the survey findings of 300 Hong Kong parents of children aged between 2 and 5 years. The surveyed parents typically cautioned their children against touching objects and other people, including things in public areas (e.g., banisters, lift buttons, door handles, and railings etc.) (78%); strangers (74%), things on the street (e.g., goods at supermarkets or shops) (69%), playground facilities (e.g., slides, swings, climbing frames, ball pits, merry-go-rounds etc.) (51%), as well as flora and fauna in nature or outdoor areas (e.g., grassland, beaches, stray animals etc.) (49%). Additionally, 70% of surveyed parents said that they avoided touching or hugging their young children before disinfection upon arriving home.

Multisensory learning method incorporating the haptic exploration of different objects could positively enhance the learning effectiveness of young children[4]. In the survey, 70% of parents said their children loved touching objects around them. However, more than 60% of parents said they would intervene when their children were about to touch something or some people that seemed unhygienic, such as calling out to stop them[5] and immediately disinfecting their hands. The parents’ instant reactions may unwittingly suppress their children’s desire to explore their surroundings and may even cause them to associate negatively with connecting with the outside world.

The lack of interpersonal touch could severely impact the social and cognitive development of young children[6]. Close to 70% of surveyed parents were concerned that touch deprivation would lead to stunted growth in their young children. During the pandemic, they observed the varying degrees of impact on their children’s personality, psychological development, language development, interpersonal skills, and learning ability. Some parents said that their children became more inhibited, unsociable, bashful, and easier to be frightened, with some reporting that their children became easily startled whenever someone approached them, and they seemed to struggle to relax regardless of circumstances.

63% of parents insisted on completing a minimum of two disinfection steps before touching their children; 80% of parents hoped their children could maintain personal hygiene habits after pandemic

The survey has found that 63% of parents insisted on touching their children only after completing at least two steps or more of the disinfection process, which involved washing their hands with handwash (69%), taking a shower (58%), and changing their clothes (56%). Children have acquired a certain level of hygiene awareness from their parents during the pandemic. For example, 75% of young children have learnt to clean their hands proactively, and 55% would wash their hands for an average of six times or more daily. Up to 80% of parents hoped their children could continue the personal hygiene habits after the pandemic to prevent the threat of other viruses. Hygiene issues were often the cause of conflicts between the surveyed parents and other family members, with such conflicts more frequent with their elderly parents and in-laws (47%) and spouse (38%). The findings show that better communication is needed to help the family as a whole to reach a consensus on hygiene standards.

Reckitt and Dettol to ‘Seize the Childhood’ and support over 10,000 families in need

“As a father of three, I can empathise with the surveyed parents for the concerns and anxiety they have had during the pandemic. While physical distancing could help contain the spread of the virus, it also reduced the opportunities for young children to explore their surroundings. Finding the right balance here is crucial to the healthy development of children,” said Boudewijn Feith, Reckitt General Manager Hong Kong/Taiwan. “At Reckitt, we put people first and we are committed to providing our consumers with high-quality hygiene protection in pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world with one of the most trusted antiseptic brands, Dettol. In response to the Global Handwashing Day on 15 October, Reckitt and our brand Dettol launch the ‘Seize the Childhood and Keep On to Protect Our Future’ campaign at PARKnSHOP stores. We believe that consistent personal hygiene habits will give parents the peace of mind to let their children explore the world, unlock their potential, and enjoy a happy and healthy childhood.”

During the promotion period from tomorrow (14 October) to 15 December, with any purchase of Dettol personal care products of a designated amount at PARKnSHOP stores in Hong Kong and Macau, consumers will entitle to a cash coupon that can be used in the next purchase. Meanwhile, Dettol will donate hygiene and disinfectant products to Reckitt’s network of Hong Kong charity partners3, expected to benefit over 10,000 families in need. The amount of rebate and donation will be doubled on 15 October to celebrate the Global Handwashing Day.

Purchase any Dettol Personal Care Products for HKD/MOP 50 or above at PARKnSHOP stores
14 October to 15 December 2022 15 October 2022 Global Handwashing Day
Rebate Amount Earn HKD/MOP 5 cash coupon for next purchase* Earn HKD/MOP10 cash coupon for next purchase*
Donation Amount Dettol to donate products worth of HKD/MOP 5 to Reckitt’s network of Hong Kong charity partners3 Dettol to donate products worth of HKD/MOP 10 to Reckitt’s network of Hong Kong charity partners3

*Present the cash coupon to save HKD/MOP 5 or HKD/MOP 10 for a single purchase of Dettol personal care products (handwash, hand sanitiser, shower gel, and soap products) worth HKD/MOP 30 or HKD/MOP 70 respectively at PARKnSHOP stores.

For every Like on designated campaign posts on Dettol Hong Kong’s Facebook page during the promotion period, or every photo uploaded that meets the requirements, Dettol will donate products worth of HKD/MOP 1 or HKD/MOP 10 respectively to support children at families in need to grow healthily. For more details, please visit Dettol Hong Kong’s Facebook page.


[1] Reckitt and its brand Dettol conducted an online survey of 300 parents of children aged between 2 and 5 years in September 2022.

[2] Global Handwashing was established by United Nations in 2008 with an aim to promote the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective way to prevent diseases (https://globalhandwashing.org/global-handwashing-day/).

[3] For more information on Reckitt’s network of Hong Kong charity partners, please visit Dettol Hong Kong’s Facebook page.

[4] Minogue, J., & Jones, M. G. (2006). Haptics in education: Exploring an untapped sensory modality. Review of Educational Research, 76(3), 317-348.

[5] For example, shouting “No!”, “That’s dirty!”, or “Don’t touch that!”.

[6] Gallace, A., & Spence, C. (2010). The science of interpersonal touch: an overview. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 34(2), 246-259.

Hashtag: #Reckitt

About Reckitt:

Reckitt* exists to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We believe that access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right, not a privilege.

Reckitt is the company behind some of the world’s most recognisable and trusted consumer brands in hygiene, health and nutrition, including Air Wick, Calgon, Cillit Bang, Clearasil, Dettol, Durex, Enfamil, Finish, Gaviscon, Harpic, Lysol, Mortein, Mucinex, Nurofen, Nutramigen, Strepsils, Vanish, Veet, Woolite and more.

Every day, more than 20 million Reckitt products are bought globally. We always put consumers and people first, seek out new opportunities, strive for excellence in all that we do and build shared success with all our partners. We aim to do the right thing, always.

We are a diverse global team of c. 40,000 colleagues. We draw on our collective energy to meet our ambitions of purpose-led brands, a healthier planet and a fairer society. Find out more, or get in touch with us at www.reckitt.com Find out more, or get in touch with us, at

* Reckitt is the trading name of the Reckitt Benckiser group of companies

About Dettol:

The brand first started in hospitals 80 years ago, where Dettol Antiseptic Liquid was first used for the cleaning and disinfection of skin during surgical procedures. As a trusted brand by doctors, Dettol was also used to protect mothers from illness after childbirth.

Ever since then, Dettol has been trusted around the world to help prevent wounds from infection, prevent sickness and help mums protect their families by killing harmful germs and helping to create safe environments for them to thrive in.

The brand continues to be one of the most trusted protectors of health. It’s still valued today as a reliable and effective product which is safe to use on skin but also powerful enough to use for environmental germ-killing tasks.