************************************

The following is issued on behalf of the Provisional Urban Council:

The Urban Services Department (USD) executed a Closure Order this (Monday) morning to physically close down an unlicensed food shop in Sham Shui Po.

The food shop, occupying the major portion of Shop No.2 on the ground floor of 555 Yee Kuk Street, was issued with a Closure Order last November.

A USD spokesman said that the food shop had been operating without a licence since June 1993 and the Department succeeded in obtaining from the court a Prohibition Order in March 1996. But since then, the food shop had changed hands and remained unlicensed.

Since June 1993, the unlicensed food shop had a record of nine convictions and accumulated a total fine of over $30,000, with four other summonses pending court hearing.

Under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance and its bylaws, the maximum penalty for carrying on any unlicensed food business is a fine of $50,000, an imprisonment of six months and a daily fine of $900.

Any person who contravenes the Prohibition Order/Closure Order is liable to a maximum fine of $100,000, an imprisonment of 12 months plus a daily fine of $1,750.

The spokesman stressed that the Department would not tolerate any unlicensed food premises and would prosecute the operators to ensure public health and safety.

End/Monday, March 22, 1999

NNNN