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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (July 12) issued letters to all live poultry retailers inviting them to surrender their fresh provision shop (FPS) licences or FEHD market stall tenancies.

Under a voluntary surrender scheme, poultry retailers may obtain an ex-gratia payment ranging from $200,000 to $503,000 upon surrender of their FPS licences or FEHD market stall tenancies and permanent cessation of their live poultry business, based on the size of their premises.

Starting tomorrow (July 13), interested poultry stall owners may submit their application to the department's environmental hygiene office in their district, together with copy of their licences or tenancies. The deadline for application is July 12, 2005.

"The scheme is intended to reduce the number of live poultry outlets in operation so as to minimise the risk of human infection by avian influenza," a department spokesman said.

"The Government will also provide tailor-made retraining and financial assistance for live poultry stall workers who are rendered unemployed arising from their employers's participation in this voluntary scheme. They can obtain at most an allowance of $8,000 for eight weeks' full-time retraining and a one-off payment of $10,000 should they fail to find employment afterwards.

"For those FPS licensees operating in private premises who choose to continue with their live poultry business, they may apply to the department for a loan to enhance the sanitary and hygiene conditions of their stalls. The amount can be up to $50,000 or 60% of the actual cost of the improvement work, whichever is the less."

Special briefing sessions will be held for live poultry retailers later this week to help them understand the details and application procedure of the surrender scheme.

The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council endorsed a funding of $329 million on July 2 for implementing the above scheme.

Ends/Monday, July 12, 2004

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