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It was business as usual when the new Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) started its first day of operation today (Saturday).
Despite today being a public holiday, market management and food import control were vigilantly maintained and street cleansing services had been stepped up to ensure cleanliness was restored after the holidays.
Normal services were delivered by FEHD staff throughout the territory under the supervision of 20 District Environment Hygiene Superintendents.
Extra manpower had been deployed to clear away the large quantities of rubbish left behind by festive crowds celebrating the millennium in public places, in particular Causeway Bay, Central and Tsim Sha Tsui.
Hawker control teams were also maintaining regular service to ensure that hawking activities were kept under control.
Food control and inspection offices at Man Kam To, Lok Ma Chau, Lo Wu, the Airport, Western and Cheung Sha Wan were all operating normally, manned by staff transferred to the FEHD from the Department of Health and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department which has now been renamed as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
From today, the FEHD has taken over responsibility for environmental hygiene services and facilities from the two former municipal services departments; food safety and control from the Department of Health; and food animal inspection and testing from the former Agriculture and Fisheries Department.
The Department will deliver services through three branches :
* The Food and Public Health Branch for food safety control and veterinary public health.
* The Environmental Hygiene Branch for the provision of environmental hygiene services, including licensing of restaurants and the control of hawking activities. Twenty District Environmental Hygiene Offices will provide service at the district level.
* The Administration and Development Branch for departmental administration, including human resources management, financial management, planning and implementation of capital works projects, information technology, public information and education.
A spokesman for the Department said: "With the functional restructuring of the provision of municipal services, we pledge to provide a high quality service to the public.
"We are determined to give of our best in ensuring that food is fit for human consumption and in maintaining a clean and hygienic environment for the people of Hong Kong.
"The community's involvement is vital to our success. It is our vision to work hand in hand with our community in building Hong Kong into a world-class metropolis renowned for its food safety and public hygiene."
The spokesman added that in general old logos used by the two municipal councils and affixed to building walls would only be gradually phased out, tying in with routine maintenance programmes. This is both for environmental protection reason as well as to ensure better use of public funds.
The new Department has introduced newly designed litter bins to replace the old ones which bear the logos of the two former Provisional Municipal Councils.
The new litter bins, light yellow in colour, bear Chinese and English names of the new Department and its hotline number. They also show the time table of refuse collection for better monitoring of work by members of the public. About 1,000 new litter bins have been placed in public places today.
However, for environmental protection reasons, litter bins currently in use will continue to be used until their economic life expires.
Since midnight yesterday, all departmental vehicle licence plates bearing the UC and RC prefixes have been replaced by new ones bearing the AM prefix. The UC and RC prefix plates would be returned to the Transport Department.
The UC and RC logos affixed on vehicles will be covered by stickers bearing the name of the new Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Whereas a new cap badge bearing the name of the new Department has replaced the old badge today, staff uniform will gradually be changed in the coming few months.
Altogether over 6,000 staff of various ranks have changed their cap badges today.
Members of the public interested to know more about the new Department can obtain a booklet from all District Environmental Hygiene Offices of FEHD, District Offices of the Home Affairs Department and the Information Services Department at 4th floor, Murray Building, Central.
Alternatively, they can visit the departmental website (www.fehd.gov.hk) for more information.
A departmental hotline 2868 0000 has also been set up to handle public enquiries and complaints on food safety and environmental hygiene matters.
End/Saturday, January 1, 2000
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