FEHD Announces Open Auctions for 474 Market Stalls in August; First-Come Rentals Available Later.

Leasing arrangements announced for public market stalls in August

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (July 30) that open auctions for a total of 474 stalls in 43 public markets will be held in August. Market stalls not taken at open auctions will be available to the public for renting at their upset prices on August 22 on a first-come, first-served basis.

(1) Open auctions

The types of stalls to be auctioned this time cover cooked food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fresh fish, frozen (chilled) poultry, fruits, vegetables, ready-to-eat food, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food related dry goods and wet goods, service trades, siu mei and lo mei, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term from September 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on the sizes, locations and vacancy periods of the individual stalls. The upset prices for the stalls in an open auction will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacant period has been over eight months. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

​The date of the auctions and the number of stalls are as follows:

New Territories (1)

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Auction date: August 8 (Friday) (am)

Number of stalls: 73

New Territories (2)

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Auction date: August 11 (Monday) (am)

Number of stalls: 84

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (1)

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Auction date: August 12 (Tuesday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 98

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (2)

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Auction date: August 13 (Wednesday) (am)

Number of stalls: 88

Aberdeen Market

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Auction date: August 13 (Wednesday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 10

Kowloon (1)

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Auction date: August 14 (Thursday) (am)

Number of stalls: 59

Lai Wan Market

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Auction date: August 14 (Thursday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 2

Kowloon (2)

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Auction date: August 15 (Friday) (am)

Number of stalls: 39

Kowloon (3)

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Auction date: August 15 (Friday) (pm)

Number of stalls: 21

The open auctions will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be issued 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each auction. Persons who want to attend the auctions must wait at the waiting area of the auction venue and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The registered person will then be provided with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, eligible bidders after verification will be issued with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has also invited representatives of the Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to monitor the auctions at the auction venue in order to ensure that the open auctions are conducted in an orderly and fair manner.

(2) Renting at upset prices on first-come, first-served basis

The tenancy agreement of market stalls renting on a first-come, first-served basis is a three-year fixed term from October 1, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on their sizes, locations, vacancy periods and the reduced upset prices from the last open auction of the individual stalls. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website after the open auction.

Members of the public who are interested in renting a market stall at its upset price should approach the following FEHD offices, as appropriate, to apply in person from 9.30am to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm on August 22 (Friday):

Districts in which the market stalls are located

Venues for selection of market stalls

Hong Kong Island and Islands District

Hawkers and Markets Section (Hong Kong and Islands) Office,

8/F, Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building,

225 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Kowloon

Hawkers and Markets Section (Kowloon) Office,

Room 301-302,

3/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot,

87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon

Kwai Tsing District

Kwai Tsing District Environmental Hygiene Office,

9/F, Kwai Hing Government Offices,

166-174 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung, New Territories

North District

North District Environmental Hygiene Office,

4/F, Shek Wu Hui Municipal Services Building,

13 Chi Cheong Road, Sheung Shui, New Territories

Sai Kung District

Sai Kung District Environmental Hygiene Office,

7/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex,

38 Pui Shing Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories

Sha Tin District

Sha Tin District Environmental Hygiene Office,

Units 1201-1207 and 1220-1221, 12/F,

Tower 1, Grand Central Plaza,

138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, Sha Tin, New Territories

Tai Po District

Tai Po District Environmental Hygiene Office,

3/F, Tai Po Complex,

8 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po, New Territories

Tsuen Wan District

Tsuen Wan District Environmental Hygiene Office,

3/F, Yeung Uk Road Municipal Services Building,

45 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories

Tuen Mun District

Tuen Mun District Environmental Hygiene Office,

1/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices Building,

1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

Yuen Long District

Yuen Long District Environmental Hygiene Office,

2/F, Yuen Long Government Offices,

2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, New Territories

A spokesman for the FEHD said, "Bidders or applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for or select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction or to select one stall in the same market on a first-come, first-served basis. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to bid for a stall in the auction or select a stall on a first-come, first-served basis in the same market, but shall vacate the current stall and return it to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement."

​Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Details on renting public market stalls on a first-come, first-served basis will be uploaded to the FEHD website after open auctions (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/FCFS/index.html). Interested bidders or applicants may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.

Source: AI-found images

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted an anti-illegal worker operation codenamed "Contribute" today (January 15).During the operation, ImmD Task Force officers raided premises under renovation in a newly built public housing estate in Sheung Shui district.A total of six suspected illegal workers and one suspected employer were arrested. Thearrested suspected illegal workers comprise six men, aged 22 to 41. Furthermore, one man, aged 45, suspected of employing the illegal workers, was also arrested. An investigation into the suspected employers is ongoing, and the possibility of further arrests is not ruled out.

Apart from mounting the enforcement operation, ImmD officers and a promotional vehicle have been deployed to distribute "Don't Employ Illegal Workers" leaflets and convey the message in the estate.

An ImmD spokesman said, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties."

The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Seven persons arrested during anti-illegal worker operation Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases