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5.
De-federalisation of the Trade Industry and Customs Department
On 14 July 1982 Finance Committee approved, with
effect from 1 August 1982, the de-federalisation of the Trade
Inudstry and Customs Department (TICD) into three separate
departments : Trade; Industry; and Customs and Excise. A
new Trade and Industry Branch has been set up within the
Government Secretariat with policy responsibility for both
the Trade Department and the Industry Department as well as
housekeeping responsibility for the Customs and Excise
Department. In respect of policy in certain programme
areas, the C&ED will be responsible to the Secretary for
Security and to the Deputy Financial Secretary as appropriate.
Responsibility for the overseas offices of the TICD in
Washington, Brussels and Geneva has been assumed by the
Councils and Administration Branch of the Government
Secretariat, in recognition of the fact that these are
Hong Kong Government overseas offices rather than sub-offices
of a particular department. Industrial Promotion Offices,
which perform mainly executive functions of the Industry
Department overseas, will however remain departmental offices
under the Industry Department.
6.
At the same time, all directorate Trade Officer
posts in the Trade and Industry Departments have been
regraded as Staff Grade posts in the Administrative Service
and substantive directorate Trade Officers transferred
to the Administrative Service in ranks equivalent to their
substantive ranks. They will be eligible for promotion
within the Administrative Service and liable to posting to
/any