TRADE AND INDUSTRY
consumers. In view of this, it put forward a package of voluntary measures to be adopted by companies. These voluntary measures are aimed at increasing confidence in prepayment schemes.
Awareness is the key to consumer culture. The council attaches great importance to making consumers aware of their rights and responsibilities through its consumer empowerment programmes. With rising consumer awareness of their rights, consumers will seek out information so that they will choose wisely and take the appropriate precautionary steps and measures for their own protection to avoid unnecessary disputes. Towards this end, the council publishes a monthly magazine, CHOICE, with a monthly circulation of 23 000 which provides a regular outlet of information, advice and viewpoints on all matters affecting consumer interests. There are also other publications on specific consumer issues and study reports. The council is also in daily contact with the mass media on all matters of consumer interest, holding regular press briefings, maintaining consumer columns in newspapers and appearing on TV and video programmes.
Council efforts in the promotion and development of consumer education in schools were reflected in the growing number of enquiries and requests for talks and information on various consumer issues and concerns. During the year, it organised about 314 consumer educational activities at both territorial and district levels on consumer concerns. Awareness of the long-term effect of consumer behaviour on the environment and sustainable consumption is an issue for promotion. For the third year, the council jointly organised the Plastic Bag Reduction in Markets Campaign with the Environmental Protection Department, Housing Society, Housing Department, Urban Services Department and Regional Services Department. The campaign won good public support.
The council's comparative product testing programme and market surveys seek to provide information on goods and services for the consumers. During the year, it conducted 37 product tests, 53 in-depth studies and 16 survey projects. Some tests. were conducted specifically to check compliance with the new legislation on consumer product safety.
For most products, the testing items include safety, performance, convenience, endurance and environmental impact. The tests included a wide range of products. The more popular one was that on mobile phone handsets and the latest one was on emergency alarm system for the elderly.
The Consumer Legal Action Fund, established in November 1994, provides legal assistance in meritorious cases in defence of consumer interest. The fund, with the council as its trustee, is administered by a Board of Administrators underpinned by a Management Committee with independent Members appointed by the government. The fund has satisfactorily resolved most cases without having to go to court. Since its establishment, the fund has considered 26 groups of cases. Each concerned group contained between one complainant and more than 800.
The council is an Executive and Council Member of the Consumers International (CI) which is a federation of consumer organisations world-wide dedicated to the protection and promotion of consumer interests. Its Chief Executive is the President of the CI, and the council maintains regular contacts with its counterparts overseas and in the Mainland. It continued to maintain close liaison with its counterparts in
119