The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (April 30) obtained closure orders from the court against two food premises in Yau Ma Tei that have been persistently operating without a licence and causing serious street obstruction.
The two food premises, located at Shop C-D and Shop A respectively on the ground floor of 29-35 Temple Street, have been operating without a licence and occupying the pavement and carriageways continuously, causing serious obstruction and environmental hygiene problems, as well as a great nuisance to residents nearby. From July 2022 to March this year, the FEHD received 437 complaints concerning the two restaurants, and conducted 132 blitz enforcement operations and instituted 306 prosecutions against their irregularities.
A spokesman for the FEHD said, "The FEHD has been taking enforcement and regulatory actions against the blatant contraventions of these two food premises in question and deploying additional manpower to step up the enforcement actions. However, both restaurants continued to operate without a licence and obstruct public areas persistently. Given the fact that the food premises persistently breached the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X) and other related legislation, the FEHD applied to the court for closure orders under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) to completely rectify their irregularities. Upon affixing a copy of the closure order at a conspicuous place on the respective premises earlier today, the orders will come into force at the beginning of the eighth day (May 8) in accordance with the law."
According to the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), unless with written permission from the FEHD, no person may enter or remain on any closed premises, failing of which is an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $100,000, imprisonment for 12 months and a daily fine of $1,750.
The spokesman stressed that the FEHD will continue to crack down on unlicensed food premises to safeguard food safety and public health. Operators are urged not to defy the law, while members of the public are urged to not patronise these premises.
Licensed food premises are required to exhibit their licences and a sign at a conspicuous place of the premises, indicating that the premises have been licensed. A list of licensed food premises is available on the department website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/list_licensed_premises.html). Members of the public can report any suspected unlicensed food premises by calling the FEHD hotline 2868 0000.
Follow this news feed: East Asia