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Investment (CTI) since 1996, and was the Chair of the Government Procurement Experts Group under the CTI from 1995 to 1999.
PECC was set up in 1980 to serve as a forum for the promotion of trade and economic co-operation in the Pacific region. It is non-governmental and tripartite in nature, comprising members from the government, the business sector and the academia. Hong Kong joined PECC in May 1991, and participates in PECC's work through the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Co-operation (HKCPEC). In order to demonstrate Hong Kong's commitment and contribution to PECC, HKCPEC assumed the PECC chairmanship in October for a term of two years. It also became the chairman of PECC's Trade Policy Forum (TPF), one of the council's most important fora.
The Customs and Excise Department has been participating in the Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) and the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) since March 1993. The CTI co-ordinates APEC's work on liberalising and facilitating trade and investment, and the SCCP works towards achieving the harmonisation and simplification of Customs procedures in the Asia-Pacific region. In 1999, the department attended two rounds of CTI and SCCP meetings in February and August in New Zealand.
To achieve its objectives, APEC SCCP member economies are working on a Collective Action Plan (CAP) by taking fully into consideration the FACTS Guiding Principles-Facilitation, Accountability, Consistency, Transparency and Simplification. Among the 12 CAP items, Singapore and Hong Kong Customs are the co-ordinators of the item on 'Transparency of Customs Procedures, including Information on Customs Laws, Regulations, Administrative Guidelines, Procedures and Rulings'.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The HKSAR is an observer on the Trade Committee and the Committee on Financial Markets of the OECD, which are important fora for discussions on trade and financial service policy matters. Ideas introduced in these committees are often followed up in other international organisations such as the WTO and translated into binding multilateral agreements or codes.
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) was established in 1966 as the statutory body responsible for promoting and expanding Hong Kong's external trade. It also promotes Hong Kong as an international hub for business, and is an important partner of the Government in promoting a positive image of Hong Kong world-wide. Part of the TDC's funding comes from the Government.
With a network of 50 offices in 34 countries and regions around the world, as well as a wide range of promotional events, information and business services, the TDC serves as the global marketing arm for Hong Kong manufacturers and service providers, especially the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are the TDC's main clientele. Each year, it organises events around the world to promote Hong Kong's products and services, provides a wealth of market intelligence and economic analysis to Hong Kong companies, publishes a large number of trade publications to promote sourcing of products and services from Hong Kong, and organises major