With Mid-Autumn Festival around the corner, the Housing Department (HD) reminds tenants celebrating the festival that burning wax in the common areas of Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates may cause their households to be allotted penalty points under the Marking Scheme for Estate Management Enforcement and a fine of $1,500.

     "We call for parents' co-operation to keep their children from burning wax as this is a hazardous act which may cause fire and severe burns. The tenancy will be terminated if 16 points or more have been allotted within two years," an HD spokesman said today (September 27).

     "Problems of wax-burning and littering caused by tenants celebrating Mid-autumn Festival were kept under control last year. We will continue to reinforce our work this year. Minors found burning wax will be given a verbal warning. Their parents will be contacted if warnings by patrolling staff are to no avail. The household will then be subject to penalty point allotment," added the spokesman.

     From next Tuesday until Thursday (October 3 to 5), staff from the Mobile Operations Unit and Regional Patrol Teams will be deployed to patrol PRH estates. The operation will be carried out well beyond midnight. Additional cleaning workers will also be deployed to clean the estates' public areas in the early hours following the Mid-Autumn Festival.

     A total of four fixed penalty notices for littering or wax-burning in PRH estates were issued during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. More than 20 verbal warnings were given.

     To caution tenants against wax-burning, the messages have been publicised through posters and the Housing Channel.

     The spokesman called for PRH tenants' support by reporting any misdeeds to estate offices or the Housing Authority Hotline 2712 2712.

Ends/Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Issued at HKT 14:30

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