The Government has upheld the principles of fairness and impartiality in relocating the Yen Chow Street Temporary Hawker Bazaar, having conducted six on-site surveys to ascertain the number of unlicensed business operators there to take forward the relocation.
In a statement issued today, the Food & Health Bureau said the six surveys done between the end of 2013 and early 2014 confirmed there were 33 unlicensed operators with 17 others claiming to have been operating cloth trading there independently for a long period.
These 17 people were then invited to provide information in relation to their claim, such as business registration, tax information and the sources of their goods.
Rigorous study and verification of the information yields no credible evidence to corroborate their claims and so they cannot be treated like the other 33 registered unlicensed operators, the statement said.
The majority of them are assistants, relatives or friends of the licensed operators or registered unlicensed operators, with some of them being spouses, children or in-laws.
The relocation exercise will not affect their current employment or working relationship, the bureau said, adding they can continue to work as the assistants of their relatives or vendors after the relocation.
They can participate in the open bidding exercise for a tenancy agreement for other fabric stalls in Tung Chau Market if they want to start their business.
As some of them claimed they had extra information to prove their bona fide status after being notified of the verification results, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department has invited them to provide information by October 11.
The bureau reminded the people concerned the information provided must be true and accurate as it is an offence to obtain public resources by deception.
In handling issues involving public resources, the Government must vet the eligibility of applicants, following the principle of impartiality and fairness, by examining facts and evidence.
Only through this approach can the long-term public interest be protected, it added.
