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Customs officers yesterday (January 8) found that of the 24 fuel dispensers at a fuel station in Tuen Mun, one failed to accurately measure the volume of fuel supplied to customers.
This was the first time that Hong Kong Customs had encountered such an offence.
Acting on complaints, officers of the Customs and Excise Department and the Government Laboratory jointly checked the accuracy of fuel dispensers installed at the fuel station in Tuen Mun yesterday.
As a result, they located a defective fuel dispenser. The fuel dispenser was suspected of over-recording the volume of fuel supplied to customers by more than 5%. In other words, if a consumer chooses to fill a car with 50 litres of fuel, he will be overcharged about $30.
A flow meter and a nozzle of the defective fuel dispenser were seized.
Customs officers are investigating the discrepancy with a view to prosecuting the party concerned.
A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department today (January 9) reiterated that Customs officers would step up enforcement action to crack down on activities involving inaccurate weighing and measuring equipment to protect consumers' interests, and to ensure that Hong Kong maintained a fair trade environment.
Any person who uses for trade or has in his possession for use for trade any weighing or measuring equipment, which is false or defective, commits an offence under the Weights and Measures Ordinance, Chapter 68.
Under the Weights and Measures Ordinance, the maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of $20,000 and imprisonment for six months. Any defective weighing or measuring equipment is also liable to forfeiture.
In 2006, there were 51 cases of prosecution relating to short weighting and defective weighing equipment involving fines totalling $108,950.
Ends/Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:56
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