INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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ASIA), established under the auspices of the International Development Research Centre of Canada (IDRC).
Other Trade and Industrial Organisations
The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce-founded in 1861-is the earliest established trade association in Hong Kong. Its membership covers all branches of commerce and industry and it is represented on a number of government boards and committees. It is also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is actively involved in the promotion of Hong Kong's trade and in attracting new industry to Hong Kong in conjunction with the government.
The Federation of Hong Kong Industries, established by statute in 1960, has a membership representative of all industries, many nationalities, and all sizes of enter- prise. The federation provides testing and inspection services for chemical, electrical, electronic and textile products, and for footwear, toys, watches, foodstuffs and pack- aging materials. To encourage the development of better industrial design, the federa- tion established the Hong Kong Industrial Design Council—which provides practical training courses for in-service designers and promotes annual design competitions. The federation also established the Hong Kong Packaging Council to promote the development of packaging education and technology and the development of skills and expertise in packaging.
The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong has more than 2,000 members representing factories and companies of all sizes. The association is a mem- ber of the International Chamber of Commerce and has played an important role in the industrial development of Hong Kong. It is active in promoting new product development and has held an annual Hong Kong New Products Award Competition since 1970. The association takes a keen interest in industrial training and has established a prevocational training school which opened in September 1976.
Consumer Council
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To safeguard the interests of consumers in Hong Kong--both local and visiting- the Consumer Council was established by the government in April 1974. Its concerns include sales practices and goods, from whatever source, on sale in Hong Kong.
The council comprises a chairman and 12 members appointed by the Governor from a wide cross-section of the community. The council advises on all policy matters and is served by a secretariat which is financed by subvention from general revenue.
In the first 30 months of operation, the council's investigation section dealt with 12,632 complaints-ranging from overcharging to faulty goods and services, from unethical sales methods to short weights and measures. By means of persuasion and publicity, the council was able to settle most of the genuine complaints to the satisfac- tion of the consumers. This was due largely to the willingness of traders and business- men to co-operate and ameliorate the problems. Redress was obtained in 2,987 complaints in the form of refund, replacement, repair or prosecution in court. A further 4,053 complaints were resolved after the consumers accepted what the council