1,600 fixed penalty notices issued against shopfront extensions

To combat shopfront extension offenses, the authority has issued 1,593 fixed penalty notices after the increased fines of HK$6,000 were applied since 2023, according to Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan.

Tse’s statement followed concerns from lawmakers regarding several frontline officers reportedly not issuing fixed penalty notices (FPNs) during enforcement.

Speaking at Legco on Wednesday, Tse stated that 98 percent of shopfront extension cases involving retail shops result in FPNs. 

However, he noted that some situations require the issuance of summonses, including those involving disputes, illegal hawking activities, and cases needing police assistance.

Tse reported that 29 offenders faced 36 prosecutions in the same period, of which 32 cases were convicted by March 31. The fines range from HK$300 to HK$6,500, with five being fined HK$6,000 or above. 

Increased penalty level for deterrent effect :Tse

Personally reviewing all the 36 summon cases, Tse noted that 31 of them involved multiple offences.

Among these were three cases requiring police assistance due to disputes, one involving a repeat offender who had received 18 FPNs, and another concerning severe large-scale obstruction—all compliant with enforcement guidelines.

Given the doubling of FPNs from approximately 7,600 to 14,900 between 2019 and 2021, alongside a rise in complaints from 15,000 to 23,500, authorities increased the penalty level to strengthen deterrence during the first-stage legislative review.

While believing there is currently no need to introduce a progressive penalty system at this stage, Tse stated the department will continue monitoring the effects of the amendments.

Lenient penalty for summon cases?

In response to questions about whether penalties given for summons cases are milder than FPNs, Tse stated that the court takes decisions depending on the circumstances of each individual case, emphasising that the current enforcement policy strives to improve street obstruction issues.

Tse added that authorities could seek a court review if they believe a penalty is too lenient, revealing that there is an ongoing case involving repeated offenses under court review.