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Mid-autumn Festival fire safety advice
Members of the public are reminded to take extra care in handling fire when visiting the countryside during the Mid-autumn Festival period.
The Agriculture and Fisheries Department's Country Parks Protection Officer, Mr Edmond Lam, said today (Thursday) that visitors should refrain from releasing any Hung Ming Lantern and be extremely careful with barbecue fire and hand-held candle- lit lanterns.
According to Mr Lam, the annual Mid-autumn Festival is one of the high fire risk periods in the year and he called on members of the public to be alert to such risk when visiting country parks during this period.
It is an offence under the Forests and Countryside Ordinance and the Country Parks Ordinance to light fire illegally or to release a Hung Ming lantern in a country park or area of open countryside.
Any person found guilty of illegal lighting fire inside country parks could face a maximum fine of $5,000 and one year's imprisonment.
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Advanced welfare payment
Recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) under the bank payment system will receive their payments tomorrow (Friday) if their pay-day fall on the following day (Saturday), which is a public holiday.
"Special payment arrangements will also be made for recipients of Social Security Allowance whose pay-day fall on that day," a Social Welfare Department spokesman said today (Thursday).
"Those who have bank accounts in Hongkong Bank or Hang Seng Bank will receive their payments tomorrow (September 27) whereas those with accounts in other banks will get their payments next Monday (September 30)," he added.
In case of doubt, recipients are advised to contact their respective social security field units.
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