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Team Clean has today (August 9) released its final report on sustainable, long-term measures to improve environmental hygiene in Hong Kong.

"Over the past two months, an encouraging start has been made, and good results achieved, in Phase I of the Team Clean programme," said Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, who heads the Team Clean Task Force.

"But the publication of this Final Report marks the beginning - not the end - of our continuing efforts to improve the hygiene of our city.

"A majority of our proposals have been implemented smoothly so far. To achieve lasting cleanliness, we need Government departments to work harder and our people's continuing co-operation and perseverance in entrenching a high standard of personal and public hygiene."

Mr Tsang said the SARS outbreak had presented a window of opportunity to introduce hard-hitting measures that would bring about a lasting change in the cleanliness of the city.

"Working together, we will make Hong Kong a truly clean and hygienic city.

"Our work in these areas, is not only very important to the protection of personal and public hygiene but also has a significant bearing on Hong Kong's future competitiveness and attractiveness as a business, trading and travelling hub."

Team Clean's 'Interim Report on Measures to Improve Environmental Hygiene in Hong Kong' was released on May 28. It recommended more than 70 measures for Phase I implementation, and over 40 measures for examination and consideration in Phase II.

Mr Tsang said the long-term proposals raised in the Interim Report had been scrutinised in depth during Phase II.

The final report covers four major areas : personal hygiene, home hygiene, community hygiene and sustainability.

Issues investigated include the introduction of community service orders for spitters and litterers, reinforcement of civic education, introduction of mandatory building management, review of building design, improving hygiene of public markets and eating places, banning of live poultry and the installation of CCTVs for monitoring hygiene blackspots. The public will be consulted on these proposals in order to achieve the best results.

Mr Tsang said feedback on Phase I initiatives had been positive.

"An opinion survey conducted in mid-July found that 91% of respondents considered Hong Kong to be cleaner than before SARS, while just over 90% considered that the 'zero tolerance' approach to cleanliness and hygiene offences, and the higher $1500 fixed penalty have had a deterrent effect," he said.

"Encouragingly, 97.3% of respondents said they would be more willing to keep the environment clean if they found it cleaner than before.

"It is on this basis that we must push ahead with longer-term, sustainable measures in Phase II of Team Clean efforts in the areas of personal, home and community hygiene."

End/Saturday, August 9, 2003

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( Floor / Cantonese / Putonghua / English )