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With the approach of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Housing Department has urged public rental housing (PRH) tenants to ban their children from burning wax, a misdeed which may cause points to be allotted to the household and a $1,500 fine.
"Wax burning is a dangerous act that may cause a fire or severe burns. Five points will be allotted immediately under the hygiene-related Marking Scheme for littering or wax burning in public areas," a Housing Department spokesman said.
He stressed that children under 14 committing the misdeed would not be getting around the scheme.
"If the minors refuse to stop the act despite a verbal warning from our patrol staff, we will resort to their parents. The households will be subject to penalty points allotment," the spokesman said, adding that a tenancy would be terminated when 16 points or more had been recorded within two years.
The department will step up patrols in PRH estates to crack down on wax burning and littering. A fixed penalty notice of $1,500 or summons will also be issued to offenders on the spot.
In addition to routine patrols by estate management staff, the department will deploy Regional Patrol Teams to PRH estates from September 17 to 19 (Saturday and Monday).
Starting from this Saturday (September 17), these teams comprising plainclothes Housing Department staff and security guards will patrol PRH estates. A total of 64 departmental staff and another 200 security guards will be deployed for this special task.
To ensure cleanliness of the public areas in PRH estates, about 750 cleaning contractors will be deployed to clean up these areas early in the morning after the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The spokesman added that public education would also be promoted through distribution of estate newsletters, display of posters at lift lobbies and Announcements in the Public Interest on the Housing Channel.
Ends/Sunday, September 11, 2005
Issued at HKT 12:00
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