Hong Kong milk powder shortage probe: Many stores are still promoting

Ammi in addition to port and major supermarkets, Hong Kong community residents as the main retail pharmacy has not been snapped up recently, Hong Kong's largest milk powder retailer Wanning Supermarket in the milk powder shopping District posted a special notice to the city of a variety of branded milk powder implementation of limited arrangements,　　Require each customer can only buy one brand of milk powder three cans per day.　　A staff member of a Wanning in the vicinity of central Hong Kong said the announcement was posted late in February mainly because of the recent influx of mainland customers and the fact that a number of cans of powdered milk were usually purchased each time, fearing that a prolonged period would make it impossible for local newborns to get adequate supply of powdered milk.　　Is the shortage of infant milk powder in Hong Kong really up to the limit? In fact, in addition to the port and major supermarkets, retail pharmacies, which have been dominated by Hong Kong community residents, have not been snapping up the phenomenon.　　In the mainland tourists often caring about the Tongluowan Times Square, there are imports of milk powder business big dozen ads to discounts and gifts and other ways to promote. 　　Levy of milk powder departure tax? Mainland Chinese buying milk powder has been a topic of keen media coverage in Hong Kong since the melamine scandal erupted in mainland China.　　In the near future, the upsurge has risen sharply with the increase of tourists coming to Hong Kong during the Spring Festival. The chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Mr James Tien, said that in the golden Week of the Spring Festival this year (February 2 to 8th), the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong had reached a record high, with a total of 662928 people in seven days, a 15.7% increase from last year, of which the highest number of mainland visitors Reached 117879 people.　　Shortly thereafter, Hong Kong media broke out the shortage of infant milk powder as a result of the mainland's buying.　　At the gate of central Wanning, people often see Mandarin-speaking mainlanders, each carrying five or six cans of milk powder away. In addition to the massive supermarket chains such as Wanning, the mainland's "milk powder Corps" also swept through Hong Kong's proximity to the port area and to pharmacies in the downtown areas, where these private pharmacies are the main retail outlets for Community milk powder. Although it is private, some pharmacies, in order to fairly configure the milk powder on hand, or to protect the existing regulars, for a one-time buy more cans of milk guests, they sometimes persuade: "Buy two cans first!" Save some for the others! But it is not the case in every corner of Hong Kong.　　In the Sai Wan Ho Maternal and Child Health Centre on the eastern part of Hong Kong Island, some newborn parents who took their children for physical examination said that most of them had not yet found milk powder. Nevertheless, the report on Hong Kong's "milk shortage" has been widely concerned by the Hong Kong community. Hong Kong parents have launched an online discussion area to ask the government to levy a milk powder departure tax as a means of combating the attack. A question on the supply of powdered milk was raised by members of Hong Kong in the Legislative Council meeting February 26.　　It points out that many mainland visitors and "parallel importers" have bought milk powder in Hong Kong, which has led to a tight supply of local milk powder and a high price for sale, with the most affected by the northern District near the border. "TherePharmacy reflects, return goods (arrival) after less than 10 minutes, powdered milk has been snapped.　　The honourable Member said. He hoped that the HKSAR Government would assess the availability of milk powder suppliers and whether the SAR government would ask the suppliers to make specific arrangements to further increase the supply of powdered milk in the market.　　The honourable Member also asked the government to consider the issue of the departure tax on milk powder. Many stores are still promoting the community's concerns, the Secretary for Food and Health, Chow, said after consulting the trade that the overall supply of infant milk powder was still adequate, but there was a shortage of individual brands in some retail outlets. "The main reason is that there is a huge demand for these retail outlets at certain times, which is basically a matter of supply and demand." "The milk powder suppliers and retailers concerned have taken positive measures to meet market demand," he said. "As for the levy of a departure tax, Chow dismissed it. Hong Kong, he said, has been implementing a free trade policy and is renowned for its simple tax regime. "In considering whether a departure tax should be levied on a particular product, such as powdered milk, we must carefully consider various factors, such as whether the measures are in line with the government's free trade policy, the impact on the Hong Kong tax system and whether the imposition of taxes is the most effective way to stabilize local supply." "We do not consider it necessary to levy a departure tax on the export of powdered milk," he said. According to information provided by the Hong Kong industry, since the fourth quarter of last year, Hong Kong's brand milk powder suppliers have been speeding up the delivery of powdered milk to Hong Kong by air, compared with the February annual increase in the brand's milk powder.　　While another major supplier has been increasing the supply of the Hong Kong market in the past four years, the supply in 2010 has reached twice times more than 2006 years.　　Shortly after the reply to the Legislative Council question in Monday, a handful of milk powder suppliers began putting up full-page advertisements in Hong Kong newspapers announcing that the milk powder supply would be guaranteed. A Hong Kong local customer who regularly buys powdered milk says that, in fact, the current shortage is not serious. Because the main milk powder suppliers have set up a free membership system for Hong Kong customers to provide door-to-door delivery services, so she can and through different channels (such as SMS services) to order. Members can use the brand of milk powder supplier Hotline Service, know that there are still stock of retail outlets in order to order milk powder.　　During the Spring Festival holiday, the hotline also provides telephone recording services. As regards the phenomenon of broken goods in individual districts, retail pharmacies have indicated that they will also impose a quota on the sale of some branded milk powder to cater for the needs of local people in Hong Kong.　　In some of the traditional Hong Kong large housing estates, which are far from the downtown area and the port, some of the respondents said that the recent shortage of milk powder appeared to be improving.　　However, staff of the Wanning supermarket said that the company still did not intend to remove the "Limit purchase order", the specific time will be canceled this rule, still do not know. In Hong Kong, "milk shortage" rumors, while the mainland's milk powder online shopping tide is quietly rising. But there are still a significant number of mainland residents who are not comfortable with the milk powder on local shelves. Especially after the "leather milk" exposure, mainland consumersConfidence in powdered milk has been hit again. Will this enhance the effectiveness of the mainland's "Milk Powder Corps" in Hong Kong? It is not known yet, but after the "Leather milk incident" was handed over to Hong Kong, at least Hong Kong people's compassion for mainland compatriots has soared. Some Hong Kong friends said with emotion: "Finally understand why mainlanders are buying powdered milk." ”