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Public Order
advise on rehabilitation programmes as well as strategies on reintegration and publicity. It comprises community leaders, professionals and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government departments. The department organises publicity activities to appeal for public support for offender rehabilitation.
Community Education
The department reaches out mainly to secondary students with its Rehabilitation Pioneer Project to encourage youths to stay away from crime and drugs and support offender rehabilitation. Community education programmes under the project include the Creation and Rehabilitation drama and music performance and the Reflective Path programme, which simulates real imprisonment experience.
Visiting Justices
Two Justices of the Peace visit each penal institution fortnightly or monthly, depending on the type of facility. The Justices of the Peace receive and investigate complaints from persons in custody, inspect their diets and examine their living and working conditions.
Quality Assurance
To uphold and continuously improve service standards, the department initiates enhancements through regular inspections and management studies.
Complaints
The Complaints Investigation Unit handles and investigates complaints related to the department. All investigation reports are scrutinised by the CSD Complaints Committee. Persons in custody may lodge complaints with any CSD officer or through other channels, such as the visiting Justices of the Peace, the Ombudsman and Legislative Councillors.
Customs and Excise Department
The Customs and Excise Department is responsible primarily for the collection of revenue on dutiable goods, prevention of duty evasion, suppression of drug trafficking and abuse, prevention and detection of smuggling, and protection of intellectual property rights. The department also enforces legislation to protect consumer interests, safeguard and facilitate legitimate trade and industry, uphold Hong Kong's trading integrity and fulfil relevant international obligations. At the year end, it had 5,975 posts. (See also Chapter 5).
Revenue Protection and Collection
The department collects excise duties derived from dutiable commodities stipulated in the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance: liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol. It administers a licensing and permit system to ensure no dutiable commodities, whether imported or locally manufactured, are released for local consumption unless full duty has been paid. During the 2015-16 financial year, the department collected $10.7 billion in excise duties, a 7 per cent increase over 2014-15.
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