Issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Services
Garden Road, 5th-8th Floors, Murray Building, Hong Kong. Tel: 2842 8777
Sunday, March 29, 1998 CONTENTS ======== 1. Business licence information available on Internet 2. Heavy fine for unauthorised building works 3. Postal service during Ching Ming & Easter holidays 4. Welfare payments during Ching Ming Festival and Easter holidays 5. Veterinary Surgeons Board meeting 6. Some 60 study rooms will be opened in April 1. Business licence information available on Internet ************************************************** Prospective business operators can now access to licensing information at their fingertips, no matter in their offices or at home. The Business Licence Information Centre, set up under the Industry Department, will extend its service to the Internet from tomorrow (Monday). Just visiting the web site of the Centre - http://www.info.gov.hk/licence, members of the public can immediately get comprehensive and up-to-date information about government licences, permits, certificates and approvals that the businesses are required to have in order to operate. The service is free of charge and round-the-clock. The Centre's database holds 10,000 pages of information on 460 business licences administered by 36 licence issuing departments and bureaux. Operating from last September, the Business Licence Information Centre is one of the major initiatives of the Government to help investors and small and medium enterprises to have a good start of their business. The Centre has handled more than 3,200 enquiries since its opening, mostly from businessmen who want to start a small or medium enterprise, and their favourite choice is the catering business. Users can visit the Centre at Room 501, Ocean Centre, 5 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon or contact it on tel. 2737 2388. The Centre will provide free information on the following aspects: - the name, address and phone number of the issuing department and authority; - the regulatory requirements and the details of the licence; - the free and duration of the licence; - the processing time of application; and - the appropriate application forms. Staff of the Centre will advise inquirers how to submit their applications and payments to the relevant departments. End 2. Heavy fine for unauthorised building works ****************************************** Owners of three residential houses in Marina Cove, Sai Kung, were fined $204,750 in total recently for failing to comply with statutory orders to remove unauthorised building works. Two cases were convicted earlier this month and one last month at the Kwun Tong Magistracy. The owners were fined $79,900, $56,000 and $68,850 respectively. In all the cases, the Building Authority issued statutory orders after discovering illegal structures in the courtyard, first floor flat roof and front and rear main roofs. Other unauthorised building works included slabbing over void area, removal of structural wall, erection of a platform extending from the living room into the garden and erection of a storey beneath the ground floor. The unauthorised works resulted in additional built- up areas of 34 square metres, 43 square metres and 92 square metres in the three houses. All the owners were given 60 days to remove the illegal structures and to reinstate the unauthorised building works. The Assistant Director of Buildings (Control and Enforcement), Mr Leung Shiu-hong, today (Sunday) urged owners to comply with statutory orders without delay. He stressed that approval and consent from the Building Authority was required before building works started. "Property owners intending to carry out building works should appoint an Authorised Person and, where necessary, a Registered Structural Engineer, to prepare plans for the Building Authority's approval in accordance with the provisions of the Buildings Ordinance," Mr Leung said. "Unless exempted under the Buildings Ordinance, any alterations or additions to buildings without the approval of the Building Authority are regarded as unauthorised building works and must be removed," he said. The maximum penalty for carrying out unauthorised building works is two years' imprisonment, a principal fine of $100,000 and a daily fine of $5,000. The maximum penalty for failing to comply with a removal order is one year's imprisonment, a principal fine of $50,000 and a daily fine of $5,000. Mr Leung said his department took a very serious view of non-compliance with statutory orders and would invariably take out prosecution in such cases to protect public interest and to ensure building safety. End 3. Postal service during Ching Ming & Easter holidays ************************************************** The Postmaster General, Mr Robert Footman, announced today (Sunday) that during the coming Ching Ming Festival and Easter holidays, one special mail delivery will be provided on April 10, Good Friday. No delivery service will be made on April 6, 11, 12 and 13. In addition, one mail collection will be arranged on each day during the holiday period for all street posting boxes except those located on outlying islands and in remote areas. The time of collection is shown on the time plate of each posting box. All post offices will be closed during the holiday period except the General Post Office at 2 Connaught Place, Central, Hong Kong; and the Tsim Sha Tsui Post Office at 10 Middle Road, Kowloon. Both of them will be opened from 8 am to 2 pm on those four days of public holiday for sale of postage stamps and acceptance of Speedpost, registered mail and parcels. End 4. Welfare payments during Ching Ming Festival and Easter holidays *************************************************************** Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance whose autopay day falls on April 5 or 6 of the Ching Ming Festival holidays will receive advance payments on April 4 (Saturday) whereas those recipients whose autopay day falls on April 10 to 13 of Easter holidays will receive advance payments on April 9 (Thursday). "Special payment arrangements will also be made for recipients of Social Security Allowance," a Social Welfare Department spokesman said today (Sunday). "Those who are paid through the Hong Kong Bank or Hang Seng Bank on either April 5 or 6 and between April 10 and 13 will also have their pay days advanced to April 4 and 9 respectively. "However, those who are paid through other banks between April 4 and 6 will get their payments on April 7 whereas those who are paid through other banks between April 9 and 13 will get their payments on April 14," he added. In case of doubt, recipients are advised to contact their respective social security field units. End 5. Veterinary Surgeons Board meeting ********************************* The Veterinary Surgeons Board under the chairmanship of Professor Edward Chen Kwan-yiu will meet at 9.15 am on Wednesday (April 1) at the 14th floor conference room of Canton Road Government Offices. Items to be discussed include the draft rules on the registration of veterinary surgeons, and the interim reports produced by the Hong Kong Council of Academic Accreditation on the validation of veterinary qualifications in Taiwan and under the United Kingdom system. Other agenda items will cover the rules on disciplinary proceedings and the progress report of the Board's Ethics Committee. Members of the public are welcome to attend as observers. They are requested to contact the Secretary of the Board at 2733 2245 or 2733 2349 for reservation. End 6. Some 60 study rooms will be opened in April ******************************************* The Education Department will open 58 temporary study rooms for students during the examination period from Wednesday (April 1) to June 30. The aim of the Temporary Study Room (TSR) Scheme is to provide a quiet study place for students during the examination period. All students are welcome. The study rooms are provided at 29 schools in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. Among them, 11 for secondary students and 18 for both primary and secondary students. Their opening hours are from 7 pm to 10 pm and 7 pm to 9 pm respectively from Monday to Friday except public holidays. Leaflets on study rooms will be available for collection at the District Offices and the District Education Offices. Posters showing the locations of study rooms will also be put up on the notice boards in schools. Besides, study room facilities in over 270 locations are provided all the year round by the Urban and Regional Services Departments, Home Affairs Department, Social Welfare Department and non-government organisations. End
