Author Archives: hksar gov

     A 69-year-old man was convicted of illegally operating a private columbarium, contravening the Private Columbaria Ordinance, by the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on May 16. He was fined, with a criminal record registered. This is the first conviction for illegally operating a private columbarium since the commencement of the Ordinance.
      
     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (May 17) that the Private Columbaria Affairs Office of the FEHD had earlier detected that a private columbarium in Cooke Street, Hung Hom, was suspected to have rented out niches without a licence under the Ordinance. An operation was thus mounted at the premises. The operator of the unlicensed private columbarium was arrested and prosecuted. At the trial, the operator was convicted of contravening the relevant provision of the Ordinance and was fined $30,000 with a criminal record registered.
      
     Under the Ordinance, any person who operates, keeps, manages or in any other way has control of a private columbarium other than under a licence commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for three years; or on conviction on indictment to a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for seven years.
      
     A spokesman for the FEHD said, “This department will continue to take stringent enforcement action against illegally operated private columbaria. Members of the public should not buy or rent niches from any unlicensed private columbaria. If members of the public suspect any activities of illegally operating a private columbarium, they should immediately report it to the FEHD by calling hotline 2868 0000.” read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:        The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking C… read more

     A woman who went missing in Tin Sum has been located.      Liu Man-ki, aged 32, went missing after she left a hostel in Hin Keng Estate on May 13 afternoon. Staff of the hostel made a report to … read more

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (May 17) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay*).   
   
     Seventeen beaches were rated as good (grade 1), 20 as fair (grade 2) and two as poor (grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:       

Deep Water Bay Beach	Pui O Beach
Discovery Bay	Repulse Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach	Shek O Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	South Bay Beach
Kiu Tsui Beach	St Stephen’s Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Lo So Shing Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Lower Cheung Sha Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach
Middle Bay Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Approach Beach	Clear Water Bay Second Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Golden Beach
Butterfly Beach	Kadoorie Beach
Cafeteria New Beach	Lido Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Casam Beach	Silver Mine Bay Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Silverstrand Beach
Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Ting Kau Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	Trio Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Turtle Cove Beach

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Anglers’ Beach

Hoi Mei Wan Beach

 
* Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Kiu Tsui Beach and Middle Bay Beach have been upgraded from grade 2 to grade 1; Castle Peak Beach from grade 3 to grade 2. Trio Beach has been changed from grade 1 to grade 2; Anglers’ Beach from grade 2 to grade 3.  
      
     “The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department’s website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666. read more

     The Transport Department today (May 17) announced that two auctions of traditional vehicle registration marks will be held on June 1 (Saturday) and 2 (Sunday), in Meeting Room S421, L4 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, respectively.
 
     “A total of 320 vehicle registration marks will be put up for public sale at each auction. The lists of marks have been posted at the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk,” a department spokesman said.
 
     Applicants who have paid a deposit of $1,000 to reserve a mark for auction should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price of $1,000). Otherwise, the mark may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.
 
     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following important points:
 
(a) Successful bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after the successful bidding:
 
(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser if it is different from the successful bidder;
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation if the purchaser is a body corporate; and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region” or “The Government of the HKSAR”. (For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed.) Successful bidders can also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS). Payment by post-dated cheques, cash or other methods will not be accepted.
 
(b) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the memorandum will not be permitted.
 
(c) A vehicle registration mark can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
 
(d) Special registration marks are non-transferable. Where the ownership of a motor vehicle with a special registration mark is transferred, the allocation of the special registration mark shall be cancelled.
 
(e) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the registration mark to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the registration mark within 12 months, allocation of the mark will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of Vehicle Registration Marks, which can be downloaded from the department’s website, www.td.gov.hk. read more