Team Clean: Chief Secretary for Administration and Team Clean Head Donald Tsang (right) briefs the press on enhanced measures to boost the city's hygiene.

With concerted efforts, Hong Kong's environmental hygiene has improved since the SARS outbreak, and it is time for us to sustain and further strengthen moves to maintain cleanliness.

This was the message from Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang today, outlining key initiatives in the Measures to Improve Environmental Hygiene in HK report.

Mr Tsang highlighted five areas that will help achieve comprehensive and sustainable improvement. They are:

* continuing to adopt the zero tolerance approach in enforcement operations;

* reviewing enforcement and administrative procedures to plug any loopholes and tackle difficulties in dealing with hygiene problems;

* adopting bold and innovative measures to eradicate deep-rooted problems;

* implementing appropriate supportive measures to cultivate a cleansing culture in the community; and,

* establishing a monitoring system on environmental hygiene.

Team Clean has proposed a number of measures to deal with complicated, longer-term issues as well as entrenched habits.

They include the introduction of community service orders for litterbugs, reinforcement of civic education, introduction of mandatory building management, review of building design, improving hygiene of public markets and dining places, banning of live poultry and the installation of closed circuit cameras for monitoring hygiene blackspots. For more details of the proposals, click here.

Mr Tsang said some the issues are more controversial and need to be discussed widely to reach public consensus.

On the banning of live poultry, Mr Tsang said there are different views in the community. Therefore, the Government has to present to the public the pros and cons of options considered and gauge views before coming to a decision.

He stressed that ongoing preventive measures have been launched to guard against avian flu, including bio-security measures in chicken farms.

Turning to the installation of closed-circuit cameras at hygiene blackspots, Mr Tsang said the move aims to safeguard public health and personal privacy will not be infringed.

So far, five districts - Hong Kong East, Sham Shui Po, Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City and Yuen Long - have indicated interest in the proposal. Cameras may first be set up in the districts on a pilot basis to review the proposal's effectiveness.

For other districts, relevant district councils and committees will be consulted next month to see if fitting of closed-circuit cameras is required.