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COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Participation in International Organisations
The Intellectual Property Department continued to participate in the activities of the WTO Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in 2001. The department initiated a paper on Technical Assistance on TRIPS Notification between WTO members to assist the least-developed members of the WTO to comply with the TRIPS Agreement. The department also represented Hong Kong, China at other international and regional intellectual property symposia and conferences, including the 12th meeting of APEC IPEG held in Sydney, Australia in March and the 13th meeting of APEC IPEG held in Taiwan in July. Representatives of the department also attended conferences at the WIPO, including the Conferences on Private International Law and the conferences held by various committees including the Standing Committee on Trademarks, Industrial Designs and Geographical Indications, the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, and the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore.
Business and Services Promotion
The Business and Services Promotion Unit (BSPU) of the Commerce and Industry Bureau oversees the implementation of the Helping Business and Services Promotion Programmes. The Helping Business Programme, launched in 1996, aims to create a more business-friendly environment and to maintain Hong Kong's position as the best place in the world for business. A Business Advisory Group, chaired by the Financial Secretary, provides a forum for identifying problems encountered by the business sector in the Government's operations and for recommending solutions. The group comprises 14 leading members of the business community and six senior government officials. It meets quarterly to take forward 'helping business' initiatives in such areas as cutting government red tape, deregulation, impact assessment of regulatory proposals, transfer of public services to the private sector and introduction of new and improved services. Work relating to the transfer of public services is under the charge of the Efficiency Unit of the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office.
The BSPU works closely with government bureaux and departments to identify improvement opportunities in government operations and services and implement initiatives to help business. During the year, more than 15 studies and projects under the Helping Business Programme were completed and over 70 recommendations identified. Departments implemented more than 30 specific measures, including streamlining procedures and reducing the processing time in the approval of general building plan and related submissions, significantly shortening the retrieval time for approved building plans by introduction of a pilot electronic retrieval system, and facilitating the submission of public forms by businesses and individuals electronically through the Internet. The BSPU has continued its efforts to engender a 'helping business' culture and mindset among civil servants. Apart from organising symposia and publishing guidebooks, the unit organised the second Helping Business Awards Scheme during the year to enhance civil servants' awareness of the need to help business. The scheme received enthusiastic responses from both the Civil Service and the business community.
The Services Promotion Programme ensures that the right policies and programmes are in place to facilitate the growth and development of the services sector. The