Tag Archives: China

     The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene has ordered a restaurant in Tsuen Wan to suspend business for 14 days as the operator repeatedly breached the Food Business Regulation (FBR) by extending the business area illegally.
    
     The restaurant, located on the ground floor at 17 Tso Kung Square, Tsuen Wan, was ordered to suspend business from today (April 18) to May 1.
    
     “In July last year and February this year, two convictions for the above-mentioned breach were recorded against the restaurant. A total fine of $7,000 was levied by the court and 30 demerit points were registered against the licensee under the department’s demerit points system. The contraventions resulted in the 14-day licence suspension,” a spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said.
    
     The licensee of the restaurant had a record of two convictions for the same offence in March and April last year. A total fine of $5,000 was levied and 30 demerit points were registered. The breaches led to licence suspension for seven days in July last year.
    
     The spokesman reminded licensees of food premises to comply with the FBR, or their licences could be suspended or cancelled.
    
     Licensed food premises are required to exhibit a sign, at a conspicuous place near the main entrance, indicating that the premises has been licensed. A list of licensed food premises is available on the FEHD’s website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/index.html). read more

     The Government announced today (April 18) that the Chief Executive (CE) in Council had approved the exemption of waiver fee, rent and associated costs for land applications related to the provision of transitional housing, with a view to facilitating more community initiated transitional housing projects to alleviate the hardship faced by families awaiting public rental housing or living in inadequate housing.
 
     According to prevailing policy, if non-profit-making organisations or social enterprises (collectively termed as NGOs) plan to utilise private non-residential sites or buildings for provision of transitional housing, the owners should submit waiver applications to the Lands Department for a temporary permit to use the sites or buildings for residential purposes and pay the waiver fees and associated costs if residential use is not permitted in the leases.  Additionally, if the NGOs plan to use vacant government sites or premises for provision of transitional housing, they also need to apply to the Lands Department for Short Term Tenancy and pay the rents and associated costs. A spokesman of Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) said that the facilitating measure would lessen the financial burden of NGOs.

     The spokesman pointed out that if NGOs plan to provide transitional housing projects, they are required to seek policy support from the THB, and sign an agreement with the Bureau on operational details, including rental arrangement, management and service responsibilities, as well as the exit arrangement at the end of the project. This is a prerequisite for the Lands Department to consider exempting the fees and associated costs and to ensure that the rent is affordable to tenants and the project is self-financing as far as possible.
 
     So far, the transitional housing projects initiated by the community have provided over 600 units for needy families. Most of the units comply with the permitted land use and no application to the Lands Department is required. Subsequent to the CE’s announcement in June 2018 on transitional housing, the Government has endeavoured to facilitate NGOs to utilise vacant government sites and buildings, and the conversion of private non-residential sites and buildings, to take forward more transitional housing projects.
 
     Since late 2018, the Government has taken various measures to facilitate the launching of transitional housing projects. These include (i) the pragmatic approach adopted by the Buildings Department in granting modification or exemption under the Buildings Ordinance for submissions in old domestic buildings and wholesale-converted Industrial Buildings (IBs) with genuine planning and design constraints; (ii) the Town Planning Board’s agreement to treat transitional housing projects in permanent buildings for five years or less, including wholesale-converted IBs in designated zones in the urban and new town areas, as a temporary use always permitted under the relevant Outline Zoning Plans; and (iii) the exemption of waiver fees for not-for-profit transitional housing projects in wholesale-converted IBs. In addition, the Financial Secretary also announced on February 27 this year that another $2 billion would be set aside to support transitional housing projects. read more

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, will tomorrow morning (April 19) attend the opening ceremony of the 2019 Hong Kong Brands and Products Expo, Macau.

     The Expo is organised by the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong and will last four days until April 22. There will be 260 booths showcasing Hong Kong brands and products.

     Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon on the same day. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:      Here is an item of interest to swimmers.      The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (April 1… read more

     Hong Kong Customs today (April 18) arrested a male director of a money changer suspected of having applied a false trade description to the remittance service supplied, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received information alleging that two branches of a money changer in Sham Shui Po and Cheung Sha Wan made false claims to customers that they would remit money to bank accounts designated by customers, but then failed to provide the service accordingly.

     After investigation, Customs officers today arrested a 47-year-old man.

     Investigation is ongoing and the arrested man has been released on bail pending further investigation.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of the TDO and consumers to procure services at reputable shops.

     Under the TDO, any trader who applies a false trade description to a service supplied to a consumer commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk). read more