Five roasted meat retailers were fined from $750 to $3,000 under the Weights and Measures Ordinance after pleading guilty to selling short-weight roasted meat in the first nine months of this year.
Over the past few months, officers of the Customs and Excise Department posing as customers conducted test buys of roasted meat from a number of shops in various districts throughout the territory. After the transactions, the officers revealed their identities and checked the net weight of the purchased roasted meat with electronic scales. Investigations showed that five roasted meat retailers had claimed a weight heavier than the actual weight when they sold the goods to the officers.
Subsequent examinations by the Government Laboratory found that the shortage between the net weight and the purported weight of the goods sold ranged from 15% to 38%.
A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department today (September 28) said that another four roasted meat retailers who were recently found committing the same offence would be prosecuted shortly.
"Customs will continue to take stringent enforcement action against short weight activities to protect consumers' interests and to uphold a fair trading environment," the spokesman added.
Under the Weights and Measures Ordinance, any person who in the course of trade supplies goods to another person by weight or measure, should supply the goods in net weight or net measure. Any shortage of quantity purporting to be supplied is an offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $10,000. Moreover, 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. The maximum penalty is a fine of $20,000.
Hong Kong Customs appeals to the public to report any cases of suspected short-weight offences to the department by calling the 24-hour hotline 2545 6182.
Ends/Monday, September 28, 2009