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SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 1991
PER CENT OF THE
MR WONG SAID MORE THAN 70
COMPLAINTS WERE DIRECTED AGAINST RETAILERS OF VARIOUS FOOD ITEMS, AND THE REST WERE AGAINST PETROL STATIONS, SCRAP DEALERS AND SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS.
ON THE NATURE OF COMPLAINTS, HE SAID 204 WERE ABOUT INACCURATE WEIGHING EQUIPMENT, MAINLY THE "CHING" AND SLANTED SPRING BALANCES, 16 WERE ABOUT INACCURATE MEASURING EQUIPMENT AND 18 ABOUT SHORT WEIGHT OF GOODS.
DURING THE YEAR, OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT ALSO CONDUCTED SPOT CHECKS ON RETAILERS' WEIGHING AND MEASURING EQUIPMENT.
279
"MOST OF THE CHECKS WERE MADE AT SHOPS OR STALLS AT MARKETS FROM WHICH COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN MADE, MR WONG SAID.
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AS A RESULT OF THESE SPOT CHECKS AND INVESTIGATIONS OF THE COMPLAINTS, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT ISSUED WARNINGS TO 78 TRADERS AND PROSECUTED A FURTHER 43.
COMPARED WITH
TOTAL FINES IMPOSED BY THE COURTS IN 1990 IN RESPECT OF OFFENCES UNDER THE ORDINANCE AMOUNTED ΤΟ $104,050, $17,000 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
RETAILER WERE LABORATORY HAD
IN RECENT CASES A SEAFOOD RETAILER AND A MEAT FINED A TOTAL OF $3,500 AFTER TESTS BY THE GOVERNMENT SHOWN THAT THE READINGS OF THEIR WEIGHING INSTRUMENTS WERE 12.5 ΤΟ 18.75 PER CENT IN EXCESS OF THE ACTUAL WEIGHTS.
A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE WAS LAUNCHED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.
TO ENCOURAGE CONSUMERS ΤΟ REPORT WEIGHTS AND MEASURES MALPRACTICES, POSTERS PUBLICISING A COMPLAINTS HOTLINE ARE DISPLAYED AT ALL MARKET PLACES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, MR WONG SAID.
HE SAID LEAFLETS, AND TELEVISION AND RADIO MESSAGES HAD ALSO BEEN USED IN THE CAMPAIGN.
ON
CONSUMERS WHO SUSPECTED THEY HAD BEEN MEASURE SHOULD TELEPHONE THE DEPARTMENT HOURS OR 852 3185 OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS.
GIVEN SHORT WEIGHT OR 714 6146 DURING OFFICE
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