Government delays announcing details of Chinese New Year Eve Market The government may be cancel it whatever the cost

Unlike its usual practice, the Food Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has not yet released any detail of the seven-day Chinese New Year Eve market that will end on 25 January 2020, the upcoming Chinese New Year. This had caused speculation that the government may cancel it altogether at all cost as the government is not how to deal with possible demonstrations on the site.   Many interested stalls bidders hope that the government can release details of the bidding. According to previous practices, the FEHD would publish bidding information for the Lunar New Year's Eve market stalls in late October of the previous year, including the starting bid prices and number of stalls and the map of all stalls at different sites. Booths tendering starts in November but so far the FEHD has not yet released any details, a week later than previous year.

It is understood that the FEHD had originally scheduled to hold an annual dinner booth tendering on the 5th of this month but the social conflicts are still going on.  A number of New Year's Eve market spots were hot demonstration sites, including the Victoria Park, Tsuen Wan Sha Tsui Road Playground, and the flower market near Mong Kok Police Station. The Government worries that there may be demonstration at the New Year's Eve floral markets. They are considering adding new clauses to the tender. If the floral markets are cancelled before the start of the New Year's Eve, bidders may receive full refund. The trick is that if the floral markets are forced to be cancelled because of demonstrations, whether the bidders should be entitle to pro rata refund for the paid bids or not. At this stage, it is anticipated that stocks carried by stall owners will not be covered by the compensation.

Hong Kong Floral Arrangement Ching Zhe, who has been bidding stalls at the Victoria Park for many years, has inquired FEHD numerous time but is still unable to confirm the bidding information. She admits that she is worried that something may happen during the New Year's Eve period. Yet she has a large number of recurring customers every year, she will tender a stall no matter when the details will be announced. Mr. Yeung Wan Chun of Chiba also points out that he cannot obtain any information about the bidding date. This affects his plans for stocking and sales. He hopes that the government can announce the details as soon as possible. Fa Hui market deli stall owner Thomas is still considering whether he will participate in the New Year's Eve stalls tendering, "New Year's Eve stall arrangements cannot be done in the last minute because it takes time to order the goods and hire stall keepers. It takes at least a month to prepare." The more the Government delays announcing the bid date, the more difficult for the stall bidders to work out the budgets for ordering stocks and hiring helpers. In light of the poor societal sentiment, he hopes that the public can have time to relax in the Chinese New Year Eve floral markets. However, if the authority cancels the markets after the announcement is made, the bidders will suffer huge loss because they cannot sell their goods. If there is no further news by late January next year, he will not participate in the bidding.

FEHD replies that the New Year's Eve Market would be held in all districts of Hong Kong in January next year, while further details would be announced in due course. However, FEHD staff revealed that the Government intendef to cancel all dry good stalls except the floral markets at Shatin Che Kung Temple and Lam Tsuen.

Such measures are expected to prevent political parties from ‘stirring up troubles’. They were also worried about possible explosive materials and other danger.