Author Archives: hksar gov

     A car dealer, its sole proprietor and salesman were convicted today (April 15) at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for supplying a second-hand vehicle with a false trade description, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO). The sole proprietor and the salesman were each sentenced to 180 hours of community service while the car dealer was fined $20,000.

     Hong Kong Customs earlier received information alleging that a second-hand car dealer had made a false claim to a consumer. After investigation, it was revealed that the dealer’s sole proprietor and salesman had supplied a second-hand vehicle bearing an odometer reading (travelling mileage) of 36,029 kilometres to a customer. It was subsequently confirmed that the vehicle’s actual travelling mileage exceeded 49,479 kilometres.

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

     Under the TDO, any person who supplies goods with a false trade description in the course of trade or business, or is in possession of any goods for sale with a false trade description, 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 the Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk). read more

     The Instrumental Music Training Scheme (IMTS), organised by the Music Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is now recruiting intermediate year-one and advanced year-one trainees for 2019-20. The deadline for applications is May 16.
 
     The IMTS provides training in a wide variety of string, wind and Chinese musical instruments including violin, viola, cello, double bass, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, percussion, dizi, pipa, sheng, suona, zhongruan, liuyeqin and yangqin. Courses on musicianship and music theory are also included.
 
     One-hour group lessons, conducted in Cantonese, are held once a week at the Music Office’s five music centres in Hong Kong, Kwun Tong, Mong Kok, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan. Annual tuition fees of $3,377 for intermediate level and $4,312 for advanced level are payable in four instalments.
 
     Online applications are available at www.lcsd.gov.hk/musicoffice. Course pamphlets and application forms are now available at all Music Office music centres. Applicants must have attained the required music qualifications. Qualified applicants will be invited to attend auditions on June 15 (advanced level) or June 16 (intermediate level) and will be notified of the results by early August. Training will commence in early September.
 
     For enquiries, please call the Music Office’s music centres at 2802 0657 (Hong Kong), 2796 2893 (Kwun Tong), 2399 2200 (Mong Kok), 2158 6462 (Sha Tin) and 2417 6429 (Tsuen Wan). read more

     Hong Kong Customs today (April 15) announced that it conducted spot checks on tea-light candles in the past three weeks and ordered seven retailers cum importers to store in specified places 562 packs of tea-light candles of eight models without bilingual warnings or cautions.

     Customs earlier received a referral from a related organisation that suspected unsafe tea-light candles were being supplied in the market. Customs immediately conducted spot checks and test purchases in various districts. Testing on the samples of the tea-light candles confirmed that they complied with the relevant safety standard.

     However, it was found that the tea-light candles were suspected to be in contravention of the Consumer Goods Safety Regulation (CGSR), a subsidiary legislation of the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (CGSO), as they did not have attached the applicable bilingual warnings or cautions with respect to the safe keeping, use, consumption or disposal. Customs has ordered seven retailers cum importers to store in specified places 562 packs of tea-light candles of eight models without bilingual warnings or cautions.

     Investigation is ongoing.

     Customs reminds traders to comply with the requirements of CGSO with a view to protecting consumers’ safety.

     Under the CGSO, it is an offence to supply, manufacture or import into Hong Kong consumer goods unless the goods comply with the general safety requirements for consumer goods. Under the CGSR, where consumer goods or their packages are marked with any warning or caution with respect to their safe keeping, use, consumption or disposal, such a warning or caution shall be in both the English and the Chinese languages.

     The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year on first conviction, and a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years on subsequent conviction.

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

                

     The Committee on Elder Academy Development Foundation (EADF) is inviting a new round of funding applications from school-sponsoring bodies of primary and secondary schools as well as post-secondary institutions interested in setting… read more

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, at a media session after attending an event today (April 15): Reporter: Mr Lee, Taiwan officials have already said that if under th… read more