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INDUSTRY AND TRADE
offered annually, catering to over 30 000 executives. A highlight of the association's activities is its annual conference which provides a platform for eminent speakers to share their knowledge, experience and new thinking on the practice of management. Other management services provided by the association include the publication of the Hong Kong Manager, a bilingual management journal, library and information services, seminars and forums, inter-firm competitions and translation services. A Business Enter- prise Management Centre operates with the association to generate better management practices in small-to-medium-sized businesses, and a series of Chinese-language books on management has been compiled and published.
Consumer Council
The Consumer Council, established in 1974, is responsible for protecting and promoting the interests of consumers of goods and services. It comprises a chairman and up to 15 members who are appointed by the Governor. The council has a staff of 94 and is financed primarily by an annual subvention from the government.
It provides a comprehensive consumer protection service covering consumer representa- tion and legislation, advice and complaints, research and testing, information and educa- tion. It maintains close co-operation with the government and is represented on many committees to tender specialist advice on a wide range of consumer concerns.
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The work of the council in 1986 was marked with successes in a number of long-standing issues affecting consumers. With the support of the relevant professional bodies and government departments, the council succeeded in reaching a resolution on a standard method of floor measurement which will enable purchasers to gauge accurately the area and hence unit price of housing units put up for sale by developers before completion. The agreement standardised a confusing array of floor area descriptions that had led to many consumer complaints. Another issue concerned the prices of oil products. As prices of crude oil began to slide on the world market, the council which has been monitoring oil prices since 1975, was quick to submit a detailed report on the situation to a working group of the Legislative Council.
The council's crack-down on malpractices by retailers received a significant boost when an amendment to the Defamation Ordinance was passed into law. This enabled the news media to publicise the council's reports of unscrupulous or dishonest traders, including the names of those involved, without fear of libel action against them. The year also saw the enactment of an amendment to the Small Claims Tribunal Ordinance which considerably enhanced the protection of consumers, especially tourists, and the Travel Agents Ordinance. In its regular activities, the council dealt with 9 324 complaints and 160 092 enquiries for advice. A new Consumer Advice Centre was also opened, bringing the total number throughout Hong Kong to 15. To fulfil its function of collecting and disseminating independent and impartial advice and information to consumers, the council continued its extensive programme of research and comparative product testing. The year the council also embarked on a testing programme that comprised expensive household durables, such as air-conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators.
In the field of consumer education, a Product Safety Campaign was launched in March with a variety of activities which included the establishment of a telephone hotline for complaints on hazardous products and an exhibition that attracted some 500 000 members of the public. Awareness was aroused among consumers, manufacturers and retailers alike. The launching of the new 'Choice', the council's monthly magazine, also proved to be a resounding success with circulation averaging 40 000 for the year. To ensure that the
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