Two property owners were convicted and fined over $260,000 at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts last month and this month for failing to comply with a removal order and a repair order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123).

     The case involved the alteration of four units into mini-storages in an industrial building on Kin Wing Lane, Tuen Mun. As the alteration and addition works were carried out without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), and they obstructed the means of escape and means of access for fire fighting and rescue as well as affecting the fire resisting construction of the buildings, contravening the Building (Planning) Regulations and the Building (Construction) Regulation, a removal order and a repair order were served on both of the two owners under section 24(1) and section 26 of the BO.

     Failing to comply with the removal order and the repair order, the two owners were prosecuted by the BD and were fined $261,560 in total, of which $101,560 was the fine for the number of days that the offences continued, upon conviction at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts on October 25 and November 8 respectively.

     A spokesman for the BD today (November 22) said, "Unauthorised alteration works causing obstruction to the means of escape and means of access for fire fighting and rescue, or affecting the fire resisting construction of a building may lead to serious consequences. The owners concerned must comply with removal orders and repair orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement actions against owners who fail to comply with removal orders and repair orders, including instigation of prosecution, to ensure building safety." 

     Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues. Moreover, failure to comply with a repair order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of level 5 ($50,000 at present) and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of $5,000 for each day that the offence continues.

     Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced today (November 22) that it has fully leveraged on Hong Kong Maritime Week 2024 (HKMW2024), organised by the Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board, to promote Hong Kong as a premier logistics and maritime hub in Asia and its advantages as a multinational supply chain management centre.
      
     Speaking at the events during HKMW2024, the Head of Transport& Logistics and Industrials at InvestHK, Mr Benjamin Wong, said, "Hong Kong ranked fourth in the world as an international maritime centre in the latest International Shipping Centre Development Index Report, with more than 900 maritime companies in the city. It has a decades-long strength in foreign trade, high-quality professional services, an excellent port, airport, and other infrastructures and reliable trade financing options that position the city as a multinational supply chain management centre."
      
     He added, "Hong Kong offers various tax concessions for qualifying ship agents, ship managers and ship brokers to facilitate their ownership and operation in Hong Kong, fostering the development of shipping commercial principals in the city. Together with its status as an international maritime legal and arbitration centre, as well as its strategic location in the heart of Asia and simple and low tax regime, the city is the perfect platform for shipping and logistic companies to expand into Mainland China and Asia."
      
     As an organising partner of the HKMW2024, InvestHK has supported various events during the week, including the Hong Kong Global Maritime Trade Summit, the Opening Ceremony of HKMW2024 and World Maritime Merchants Forum (WMMF), WMMF Main and Thematic Forums, the Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference, the Xinde Marine Forum Hong Kong, the Captain's Table Live Final, the Workshop of Green Ammonia Bunkering for Ocean Going Vessel Stakeholders and many more to promote Hong Kong's strengths as an aviation and logistics hub.
      
     For photos, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720322094724.

      

Police today (November 22) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Ma On Shan.

Tse Hing-chun May, aged 64, went missing after she left her residence on Sai Sha Road on November 20 night. Her family made a report to Police yesterday (November 21).
    
She is 1.68 metres tall, about 50 kilograms in weight and of thin build. She has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short black hair. She was last seen wearing a pink jacket, dark jeans, white sports shoes and carrying a blue sling bag.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing woman or may have seen her is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of New Territories South on 3661 1176 or 9689 6212, or email to rmpu-nts-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

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 (November 22) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Stanley Main Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     The Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 2024 was published in the Gazette today (November 22).

     A spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau said, "The Government is committed to enhancing the environmental hygiene of Hong Kong and resolving environmental hygiene problems that cause irritation to members of the public. Further to increasing fixed penalty levels for offences such as littering in October 2023, the Amendment Bill is now introduced to enhance enforcement efficiency and deterrent effect to effectively achieve sustainable improvements in environmental hygiene."

     Situations such as water seepage in buildings and water dripping from air-conditioners cause nuisance to the neighbourhood. For effective handling, the source of the nuisance must first be ascertained, and the relevant owner or occupier should be urged to abate the nuisance within a reasonable time. To enable investigation officers to enter premises suspected of being the source of the nuisance as soon as possible, the Amendment Bill recommends making it an offence for failing to comply with a notice of intended entry without reasonable excuse, and extending the period allowed for entering premises for investigations from the current period between 7am and 7pm to between 7am and 10pm, accommodating contemporary lifestyle and work schedules of citizens. The Amendment Bill will also increase penalty levels for non-compliance with the Government's notices and/or court orders for abatement of nuisances within a specified period to better ensure that public health nuisances are abated expeditiously.

     In addition, owners or occupiers of premises should maintain good hygiene on their premises. If no action is taken against vermin infestations in premises, the risk of disease transmission increases. For vermin problems occurring in common parts of buildings, the Amendment Bill recommends, with reference to relevant measures to prevent mosquito breeding, that a notice be served to the persons responsible for management of the building (e.g. owners' corporations and property management companies) to tackle vermin problems in common parts of buildings as soon as possible. This will prevent the problem from affecting other flats in the building.

     The Amendment Bill also includes adjustments to the maximum penalties which the court may impose for offences related to vermin infestations, occupation of public places by miscellaneous articles causing obstruction to scavenging operation and illegal display or affixation of bills or posters to ensure sufficient deterrent effect. Relevant penalty levels have not been adjusted since 1996. Furthermore, the Amendment Bill recommends introducing a new provision on shopfront extension in the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132). This will allow the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to handle shopfront extension situations independently, including requiring shops to remove obstructing articles themselves, or allowing the department to remove obstructing articles when no owners have come forward, as well as stipulating the mechanism for disposing of removed articles. The amendments regarding shopfront extension aim to enhance enforcement efficiency and define the nature of the offence; they will neither change current enforcement standards for shopfront extension under the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap. 228) nor adjust the penalty levels.

     The spokesman said, "We propose that the relevant amendments take effect three months after gazettal following the passage of the Amendment Bill by the Legislative Council. During the three-month period, the FEHD will conduct extensive publicity for relevant sectors and the general public, so that all parties will understand the relevant amendments. We believe that the Amendment Bill will enable the Government to handle various environmental hygiene problems more effectively in the future, thereby resolving problems for citizens and building a more liveable environment."

     The Amendment Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for its first reading and second reading on December 4.