The Government's Be the Smart Regulator Programme is making good progress, the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee says.

Meeting today, the committee said the Application Tracking Facilities of the Food & Environmental Hygiene, Home Affairs and Social Welfare Departments are operating smoothly.

The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department's online tracking facility has covered more than 1,000 applications as at the end of May, of which 46% of the applicants checked their application status by using the facility. The Home Affairs and Social Welfare Departments' tracking facilities will be launched later this year.

The committee reviewed the work of the Pre-construction, Food Business and Retail Task Forces.

Recommended by the Pre-construction Task Force, the Lands Department has formed a team in a district office to process lease modification and land exchange applications and will conduct the premium valuation.

Government departments have implemented the recommendations of the Food Business Task Force, including eliminating unnecessary departmental referrals or certification on compliance, enhancing training to frontline staff and improving licensing to streamline the processing of applications for food factory licences and transfer of food business licences.

The Pharmacy & Poisons Board and its registration committee have relaxed the registration requirements of beauty or health food products recommended by the Retail Task Force.