Eagle Development (Holdings) Company Limited and its manager were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay wages to an employee and defaulting on a sum awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) as required by the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its manager earlier pleaded guilty at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts and were sentenced respectively to a fine of $5,000 and 120 hours' community service today (December 7). Both defendants were ordered to pay a sum of about $42,000 via the court to the employee.

     The company failed to pay an employee wages within seven days after the expiry of the last day of wage periods and termination of employment. The company also failed to pay the employee the awarded sum of about $42,000 in total within 14 days after the date set out by the terms of the LT award in accordance with the EO. The manager concerned was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.

     â€‹"The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the time limit stipulated in the EO and the awarded sums according to the terms of the awards of the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board. The LD will not tolerate these offences and will continue to make dedicated efforts in enforcing the EO and safeguarding employees' statutory rights," a spokesman for the LD said.

     The Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, visited Yau Tsim Mong District this afternoon (December 7) to view the West Kowloon Corridor and the pedestrian footbridge at Mong Kok Road, and meet with local District Council members.

     Accompanied by the Chairman of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council, Mr Chris Ip, and the District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Mrs Laura Aron, Mr Chan first visited Tak Sun School. He was briefed on the school facilities and observed students attending class.

     Mr Chan then proceeded to Tai Kok Tsui to learn more about the noise problem at the West Kowloon Corridor. He was briefed by Highways Department officers on the follow-up actions.

     After that, Mr Chan went to the pedestrian footbridge at Mong Kok Road where Highways Department officers updated him on the works progress of the extension of the footbridge system straddling Nathan Road.

     Before concluding his visit, Mr Chan met with members of the Yau Tsim Mong District Council to exchange views on local transport and housing issues.

     Hong Kong Customs today (December 7) arrested a male director and a male staff member of a fitness centre suspected of engaging in aggressive commercial practices in the course of selling fitness service, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO).

     Customs earlier received information alleging that staff members of a fitness centre in Mong Kok imposed undue influence in selling fitness services to three customers who were forced to procure fitness club membership valued at $14,000, $21,600 and $80,000 respectively.

     After investigation, Customs officers today arrested two 26-year-old men.

     Investigation is ongoing and the arrested men have 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. Before making any purchase decision, consumers should be cautious in providing their identity cards or credit cards to a salesperson. Consumers should firmly refuse signing any documents if they do not clearly know the content and price of the service to be provided, or have no intention to purchase the service.

     Under the TDO, any trader commits an offence of engaging in aggressive commercial practices if harassment, coercion or undue influence is used to impair consumer's freedom of choice or conduct, causing the consumer to make a transactional decision. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years. The management staff will also be liable if the offence is committed with their consent or connivance or is attributed to their neglect.

     â€‹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).

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, joined by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, this afternoon (December 7) visited the first recycling mill in Hong Kong, and met secondary school students in the District. They also had a meeting with members of Tai Po District Council (TPDC) to exchange views on various issues.
      
     Accompanied by the Acting District Officer (Tai Po), Ms Iris Lee, and the Chairman of the TPDC, Mr Cheung Hok-ming, Mr Cheung and Mr Yang began with the visit to a recycling mill in the Precision Manufacturing Centre of the Tai Po Industrial Estate. They toured the production lines to observe how the textile upcycling system developed by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel was applied at the production level. The recycling mill uses innovative technologies to provide a solution for textile waste recycling and adds value to the local textile industry. The production lines make use of the latest technologies to first sanitise used textile, then automatically separate and upcycle it into yarn which can be used for fabric and garment production.
      
     Mr Cheung was pleased to note that this research and development achievement was  highly recognised by the international community and won a gold award in this year's "International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva". He stressed that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government strived to promote re-industrialisation, develop high-end manufacturing industries which leverage new technologies and smart production but require limited land space, and proactively inject resources for the development of innovation and technology (I&T) in Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Cheung and Mr Yang then visited the Valtorta College and met students from a number of secondary schools that had participated in a programme for promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Tai Po secondary schools. Mr Cheung and Mr Yang received a briefing from students on robotic projects that they created for the programme and listened to their views on I&T development in Hong Kong. Funded by the Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council, the education programme aims to instill creative and logical thinking in students, with a view to nurturing future I&T talent for Hong Kong.
      
     Mr Cheung applauded the innovative mind and potential shown by the secondary students and encouraged them to keep up their good work. He emphasized that the HKSAR Government spared no effort in promoting STEM education and that the Policy Address had announced a number of new measures including the launch of the Life-wide Learning Grant to support STEM education in schools.
      
     Before the visit was concluded, Mr Cheung and Mr Yang met members of TPDC to listen to their views on I&T development in Hong Kong and other development issues of concern to the local community.

     Among the 55 commercial stalls of the Hong Kong Flower Show 2019, 54 were let at the auction held on December 5. The remaining fast food stall will be leased at its upset price on a first-come, first-served basis, starting from 9.30am on December 17 (Monday).
 
     The fast food stall measures 5 metres x 10m. The letting price is $30,310. The Licensee of this fast food stall shall sell sandwiches, bakery products (such as cookies) and ready-to-eat traditional snack food (such as bean pudding, cha kwo, sesame rolls, peanuts, glutinous rice balls and almond biscuits) during the Licence Period.
 
     Those wishing to rent the stall must be 18 years old or above and ordinarily resident in Hong Kong under section 2 of the Immigration Ordinance (Cap. 115) or any company incorporated in Hong Kong. Where the renter is a company, the authorised representative of the company must produce the following documents: (i) the company's Certificate of Incorporation and Business Registration Certificate; and (ii) an authorisation letter showing that the representative is authorised to act on the company's behalf in the rental and to sign the Licence Agreement on the company's behalf. Interested parties should approach the Secretariat of the Hong Kong Flower Show in person at 11/F, Leisure and Cultural Services Headquarters, 1-3 Pai Tau Street, Sha Tin.
 
     Organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the 10-day flower show will be held from March 15 to 24, 2019, at Victoria Park. The 55 commercial stalls in the showground comprise 38 flower and gardening stalls, seven fast food stalls, three handicraft stalls, two beverage stalls, two agricultural produce stalls, two photographic equipment stalls and one book stall.
 
     For enquiries, please call 2601 8260 or visit www.hkflowershow.hk/en/hkfs/2019/commercial.html.