A charter on anti-rodent measures for commercial and residential buildings in Hong Kong was launched on Tuesday to boost awareness of environmental hygiene and pledge greater technical support, following a rise in the pests’ infestation rate in the city last year.
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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said on Tuesday premises participating in the Anti-rodent Charter must assign liaison ambassadors to conduct regular inspections and maintenance of their facilities.
“The department is considering extending the charter to other sectors in due course, based on the experiences from the first phase of the Anti-Rodent Charter,” a spokesperson said.
According to a department survey, the rodent infestation rate for 2023 was 3.8 per cent, higher than the 3.3 per cent recorded in 2022.
To combat the problem, the department said they would invite various parties, including property management companies, owners’ corporations, and residents’ organizations of private residential premises to sign the charter.
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Apart from implementing anti-rodent measures, participants would need to monitor the quality and performance of their hired anti-rodent service contractors and maintain relevant records of anti-rodent work.