â€‹A vegetable chain stall, operated by Bonnie Vegetables and Fruit Wholesale Limited at Kwong Fuk Road in Tai Po, caused noise nuisance by playing promotional recordings loudly and continuously to peddle goods. It was fined a total of $14,000 by Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (July 24) for contravening the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO).
      
     An Environmental Protection Department (EPD) spokesman said that from early this year, the department received many complaints from members of the public about a vegetable stall at Kwong Fuk Road in Tai Po persistently playing promotional recordings during operating hours to sell goods by using loudspeakers, which adversely affected nearby residents. The EPD conducted enforcement operations against the vegetable stall concerned on February 3 and February 8 this year. Upon on-site assessment by EPD staff, it was confirmed that the noise caused annoyance and the department subsequently prosecuted the vegetable stall under the NCO.
      
     After a series of enforcement actions, the noise level of the above vegetable stall has improved. The EPD will continue to closely monitor the situation. Criminal prosecution against the director of the operating company may be considered if repeated contravention by the stall is detected.
      
     The spokesman reminded persons responsible for retail shops and market stalls that when they play promotional recordings to sell goods, they should contain the noise level within their shop area and should not cause annoyance to other people outside their shops or nearby residents. Otherwise, it constitutes an offence, and offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000. For stores with repeated contraventions, the operator himself will also be criminally liable for the offence once convicted.

     The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, will leave Hong Kong in the morning on July 26 (Thursday) for an official visit to Huizhou, Guangdong Province.
      
     Huizhou is one of the cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area. Mr Yeung will meet with education officials of the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Huizhou Municipal Government on co-operation opportunities in education. He will also visit other cities in the Bay Area in the future.
      
     Mr Yeung will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on the same day.

     A woman was fined $10,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (July 24) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
           
     The courts heard that in December last year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Chun Yeung Street in North Point. The OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on a daily basis.
           
     According to the OLA's records, the guesthouse did not possess a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman responsible for operating the premises was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
           
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".

     A man, a woman and a company were fined $1,000 to $4,500 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (July 24) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.

     The courts heard that in January this year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at two clubs on Queen's Road Central and Elgin Street in Central, which had been operating with certificates of compliance (CoCs). 

     The staff of the club on Queen's Road Central failed to show the registered drawings upon the OLA officers' request. Condition 17 of the CoC was breached. The company, being the CoC holder of the club, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.

     During the investigation in the club on Elgin Street, the OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for food and drinks without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. Also, the staff of the club failed to show the latest membership register and the registered drawings upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 17, 19 and 20 of the CoC were breached. The man and the woman, being the manager of the club and the CoC holder of the club respectively, were charged with contravening section 21(1) (a) and section 21(2) of the Ordinance.

     A spokesman for the department reminded all CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action will continue to be taken against illegal club operations.

     A spokesman for the Labour Department (LD) today (July 24) reminded operators of employment agencies (EAs) to conduct their business in compliance with the law and the Code of Practice for EAs at all times.
 
     The LD recently revoked the licence of Good Family Employment Agency Company Limited, an EA located in Kennedy Town, which failed to meet the standards set out in the Code by being involved in the financial matters of job seekers, failing to issue payment receipts to foreign domestic helpers (FDHs), and having its management fail to closely supervise all its staff. Despite repeated warnings given by the Employment Agencies Administration (EAA) of the LD, the EA was unable to rectify the irregularities detected. The Commissioner for Labour was satisfied that the licensee concerned was not a fit and proper person to operate an EA and revoked the licence on grounds under section 53(1)(c)(v) of the Employment Ordinance.
 
     The spokesman said, "The Code sets out the salient legislative requirements that EA operators must observe in operating their business, as well as the minimum standards which the Commissioner expects of EAs. The EAA conducts regular and surprise inspections of EAs and issues warning letters to EAs for contraventions of the Code, so as to rectify any irregularity detected.
 
     "According to the Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2018 that came into effect on February 9, sections 53(1)(c)(iva), 53(1)(d)(iii) and 53(1)(e)(ii) further empower the Commissioner to refuse to issue or renew a licence, or to revoke a licence, if the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee, or a related person of or an individual employed by the licensee or the person intending to be the licensee, has not complied with a code of practice issued under section 62A(1) of the Ordinance."
 
     This is the third case this year involving revocation of or refusal to renew an EA licence. Previously Tin Wai Employment Company Limited, an EA located in Mong Kok and Tuen Mun, had its licence revoked for contravening the Code and providing misleading information during the inspections and enquiries of the EAA. Another EA named JK Company in Mong Kok had its licence renewal refused because its licensee had contravened the Code by failing to draw up service agreements with FDHs and their employers.
 
     For enquiries or complaints about unlicensed operation, overcharging job seekers' commission by EAs and the Code, please call the LD's EAA at 2115 3667, or visit its office at Unit 906, 9/F, One Mong Kok Road Commercial Centre, 1 Mong Kok Road, Kowloon.