Wealth Banquet, a restaurant at Kam Tin Main Road in Yuen Long, discharged sub-standard wastewater into nearby drains and violated the requirements of the wastewater discharge licence. The restaurant was fined $10,000 by Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (May 29) for contravening the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO).
      
     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) enforcement officers conducted a blitz inspection at Kam Tin Yuen Long last October and found that turbid wastewater was being discharged from the grease trap of the aforementioned restaurant. It was suspected that the wastewater had not been properly treated before being discharging into the communal drain. The EPD officers then collected wastewater samples for analysis and the results showed that the oil and grease, suspended solids and biochemical oxygen demand in the wastewater exceeded the wastewater discharge licence limits by two to four times. After evidence gathering, the EPD initiated prosecution against the licensee in accordance with the WPCO.
      
     The EPD spokesman said that the location concerned is an unsewered area. Anyone who discharges sub-standard wastewater into a communal drain will pollute nearby waterways and adversely affect the environment and public hygiene. The spokesman reminded the responsible persons of restaurants that they must properly repair and maintain wastewater treatment facilities and strictly adhere to the discharge standards as stipulated in the licence to prevent environmental pollution.
      
     Under the WPCO, anyone who discharges wastewater which exceeds the standards of the discharge licence into a communal drain commits an offence. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment. 

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will launch Muse Fest HK 2018 on June 23 and the event will continue until July 8. Over 100 programmes and activities covering culture, history, art, film, astronomy, science, archaeology and conservation to be organised by 23 museums and related offices under the LCSD will be rolled out. In addition, other museums from Japan, Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong will join the festival as museum partners to promote the vibrant museum culture.
      
     The theme of this year's Muse Fest is "Museum is typing …". It implies that through Muse Fest, a platform in which museums and visitors can exchange ideas and communicate with each other, visitors can feel the diversified museum culture and have dialogues with museums.
      
     The festival comprises four categories, namely the Muse Fest Special Activity Series, the Museum Inside Out Activity Series, the Exhibition and Film Show Series and the Educational and Extension Activity Series.
      
     The opening event, "Experiencing the Tales of the Old Hong Kong – Cheongsam & Nanyin Party" to be held on June 23 at the Hong Kong Museum of History featuring cheongsams and nanyin music, is being organised to tie in with the first Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong. Apart from a cheongsam catwalk show and nanyin performance, a discussion session will also be held to talk about the beauty of cheongsams with renowned image director Tina Liu. Participants are encouraged to wear their own cheongsams when attending the party.
      
     A scaffolding master has been invited to talk about and demonstrate the basic technique of building a bamboo theatre at "Master Class: The Bamboo Theatre Building Technique Demonstration" to be held at the Sam Tung Uk Museum on June 30 to showcase this age-old form of Chinese architecture.
      
     The nostalgic "Colourful Youth Agogo Party" to be held at Oi! on July 7 will feature a local classic musical movie, "Colourful Youth", which has been restored by the Hong Kong Film Archive. A post-screening talk will be hosted by film director Adam Wong; the Artistic Director of Cinematheque‧Passion in Macao, Mr Albert Chu; and the General Manager of MOViE MOViE, Ms Joycelyn Choi. With delightful song and dance performances and the Oi! Kitchen being transformed into a grocery store from the past, participants will be taken back to good old days in the 1960s.
      
     For the three sessions of "Crossing Border Special Talks", acclaimed speakers have been invited to speak and exchange ideas on different topics with museum curators. The General Director of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, Mr Fram Kitagawa, will share his insights and experience in promoting land art festivals in the first session. Japanese designer Taku Satoh and Hong Kong designer Tommy Li will be engaged in a dialogue on their extraordinary experience in brand building in the second session. Multimedia artist Stephen Au and artist Li Chi-ching will share stories of the phenomenal martial arts movie star Bruce Lee and internationally renowned writer Jin Yong (Dr Louis Cha) in the last session.
           
     Other delightful programmes will include various thematic exhibitions, virtual reality games, stargazing activities, fun days, workshops, film shows and heritage tours.
      
     Enrolment is required for some of the programmes. For details, please visit the website of Muse Fest at www.museums.gov.hk/mf2018.

  

     A non-registered contractor for a village house at Tai Yuen Tsuen in Sheung Shui Wai and a property owner of Po Lun House at Portland Street in Mong Kok, who illegally removed asbestos roofs, were convicted today (May 29) at Fanling Magistrates' Courts and on May 24 at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts respectively, for contravening the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (APCO). These two cases were fined a total of $34,000.
      
     An Environmental Protection Department (EPD) spokesman said that complaints were received last November and December about the illegal demolition of asbestos sheeting at a village house at Tai Yuen Tsuen in Sheung Shui Wai and a residential flat at Po Lun House at Portland Street in Mong Kok respectively. The EPD conducted investigations and found that the asbestos removal works at both locations were not carried out in accordance with the statutory requirements, as no registered asbestos contractors were hired to conduct the removal works and the EPD had not been notified prior to the commencement of the works. After evidence collection, the EPD initiated prosecutions against the contractor and the property owner under the APCO.
      
     The spokesman said that, to safeguard public health, asbestos abatement works at village houses or residential buildings must be carried out by a registered asbestos contractor in accordance with the statutory requirements and the code of practice on asbestos control to prevent the release of asbestos fibres from affecting the workers and public health. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment. Anyone failing to give not less than 28 days' written notice to the EPD of the commencement date of the asbestos abatement work is also liable to a maximum fine of $200,000.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (May 29) closely monitoring one additional case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by the United Arab Emirates, and again urged the public to pay special attention to safety during travel, taking due consideration of the health risks in the places they visit.

     According to the WHO, the patient is a 78-year-old man with underlying illness residing in United Arab Emirates. He tested positive for MERS Coronavirus on May 14, who is now hospitalised and in a stable condition. The patient owns a camel farm and had daily contact with camels before onset. He also reported recent travel history to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Investigations into the source of infection are ongoing. 

     According to the latest information, 2 207 cases have been reported to the WHO (with at least 787 deaths).

     "We will maintain close communication with the WHO and relevant health authorities," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     "Travellers to the Middle East should avoid going to farms, barns or markets with camels; avoid contact with sick persons and animals, especially camels, birds or poultry; and avoid unnecessary visits to healthcare facilities. We strongly advise travel agents organising tours to the Middle East to abstain from arranging camel rides and activities involving direct contact with camels, which are known risk factors for acquiring MERS Coronavirus," the spokesman said.

     Travellers to affected areas should maintain vigilance, adopt appropriate health precautions and take heed of personal, food and environmental hygiene. The public may visit the MERS page of the CHP and its Travel Health Service, MERS statistics in affected areas, the CHP's Facebook Page and YouTube Channel, and the WHO's latest news for more information and health advice. Tour leaders and tour guides operating overseas tours are advised to refer to the CHP's health advice on MERS.

     The Chief Executive in Council today (May 29) has given consent to Hong Kong Tramways Limited (HKT) to alter fares, in accordance with section 51 of the Tramway Ordinance (Cap. 107). The revised rates of fares (see table below) will come into force one month after publication in the Gazette (i.e. July 2, 2018).
 

     In addition, the fare for the elderly (aged 65 or above) will increase from $1.10 to $1.20. The fare for a tourist ticket will remain at $34.
 
     A Government spokesman said that the Government should ensure that HKT would have sound financial capability in providing economical, efficient and quality tram services at reasonable fares. In this connection, when assessing HKT's fare increase application, the Government has, in accordance with the established policy and mechanism, taken into account various factors, including the quality and quantity of service provided and the planned improvement projects of HKT; the changes in operating costs and revenue since HKT's last fare adjustment; HKT's forecasts of future costs, revenue, profit and return; and the likely public acceptability.
 
     HKT submitted a fare increase application to the Transport Department in August 2017. The Government has consulted the Legislative Council Panel on Transport and the Transport Advisory Committee on HKT's fare increase proposal.
 
     HKT has not adjusted its fares for the past seven years. Since the last fare adjustment in June 2011, given the competition from other public transport modes, its patronage has been decreasing and the fare revenue has also correspondingly dropped. The potential to further increase non-fare box revenue is rather limited. Although HKT made profits between 2011 and 2017, its profit after tax has been decreasing since 2014. HKT's profit after tax in 2016 and 2017 was $37.6 million and about $22.9 million respectively (the profit margin was 14.7 per cent and about 9 per cent respectively). Nevertheless, HKT has planned to invest about $110 million in the next few years for implementing a series of service improvement projects which would enable the public to enjoy quality, efficient, cheap and environmentally friendly services. Without a fare increase, HKT estimated that its profit margin would drop to below 2.6 per cent from 2018 and beyond.
 
     "HKT has been providing satisfactory services for many years. HKT has strived to enhance tram services in terms of safety, service level, passenger comfort and operational efficiency through implementing various improvement measures, and will continue to take forward a series of new projects in the next few years to maintain the competitiveness and sustainability of tram service. The 12.6 per cent weighted average fare increase proposed by HKT is lower than the changes in the Composite Consumer Price Index and Median Monthly Household Income since HKT’s last fare increase (21.5 per cent and 39.3 per cent respectively). Having regard to all relevant factors, the Government considered it necessary to increase tram fares, and that the increase level proposed by HKT is acceptable," the Government spokesman said.
 
     Given that tram fares only have a tiny 0.01 per cent weighting in the Composite Consumer Price Index, the inflationary impact of the proposed fare increase is expected to be insignificant.