Night view of the Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong on July 8, 2018. [Photo/VCG] HONG KONG - The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is expected to have a surplus of HK$58.7 billion ($7.48 billion) for the fiscal year of 2018-2019, its financial chief said Wednesday. Hong Kong's fiscal reserves are expected to reach HK$1,161.6 billion ($147.99 billion) by March 31, 2019, the end of the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the HKSAR government's Financial Secretary Paul Chan said when delivering the annual budget. Looking ahead for 2019, Chan said the uncertain global economic outlook this year will restrain Hong Kong's economic performance. Having regard to the latest internal and external developments, I will make optimal use of the fiscal surplus for 2018-2019 to introduce one-off measures to support enterprises and relieve people's burden, he said. Together with the stimulus effect of other measures in the budget, Chan said he forecasts economic growth of 2 percent to 3 percent in real terms for Hong Kong in 2019. On inflation, taking various factors into account, he forecast that the headline inflation rate and the underlying inflation rate for 2019 would both be 2.5 percent. While forecasting the medium-term average growth rate slightly higher than the trend growth of 2.8 percent over the past decade and the inflation rate remaining 2.5 percent, Chan warned that Hong Kong has to stay vigilant against the mounting external pressures. I prepared this year's budget along the direction of 'supporting enterprises, safeguarding jobs, stabilising the economy, strengthening livelihoods', he said, adding that he would provide new resources ready for use of about HK$150 billion in the new budget. (1 US dollar equals 7.85 Hong Kong dollars) wristbands canadacustom silicone bracelets canadarubber bracelets canadasilicone bracelets canadasilicone wristbands canadacustom wristbands canadacanadian wristbandswristbands canada
Sheep feed in automatic troughs on the prairie in Angsu village, Inner Mongolian autonomous region. CHEN BIN/XINHUA February nights on the prairie in Angsu village are piercingly cold, but herder Bixirlt does not mind. Rather than getting up several times to check on his sheep, he just turns over in bed and uses his smartphone to check. Eight cameras Bixirlt bought last year help the family monitor 2,200 square meters in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. A long-focus camera is able to spot fires and thieves within 5 kilometers. The sheep are about to give birth, so we must keep a close eye on them, Bixirlt, 40, said. Technology has saved shepherds like Bixirlt time and energy in taking care of their livestock, the main source of income for nomads in Angsu. By pressing a button, fodder and water can be delivered automatically, and smart fences keep the livestock in order. A remote-controlled irrigation system can water more than 6 hectares of grassland. We used to spend much of the day feeding the animals, now it can be finished in less than two hours, he said. Villagers don't take the technology for granted. Over the past decade, Wi-Fi has become an ordinary amenity in most parts of China, but not for sparsely populated pastoral areas. Some places still lack a cellphone signal. Bixirlt's family was not connected to the internet until the second half of last year, and some nearby villages just began installing cables this year. Herder Qiqige monitors her family's prairie and herds using a computer at home. CHEN BIN/XINHUA Freed from time-consuming daily work, Bixirlt has put more effort into studying crossbreeding and artificial insemination. He buys high-quality Dorper sheep to mate with local small-tail Hans. By selling the crossbred lambs, he can earn 200,000 yuan ($31,580) a year. He has also assisted researchers with embryo transfer in sheep, and set up an association dedicated to breeding and promoting high-quality Dorper sheep. Today, one-third of the 270-plus families in Angsu are equipped with advanced technology such as solar power central heating systems and automatic troughs. We're relieved from heavy herding and have more time to work in tourism, said Mengkbaryal, whose homestay business made 1 million yuan last year. He is applying for a trademark and qualifications to sell dairy products. I plan to put our products online so more people can enjoy the special treats of the grassland, he said.
