THURSDAY, DEC 10, 1981
8
TFC PRAISED FOR EFFORTS
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CONGRATULATING THE NEWLY-FORMED TRADE FACILITATION COUNCIL
ON ITS INCORPTION AS AN INDEPENDENT ORGANISATION, THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE IDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR BILL DORWARD, TODAY THURSDAY) SAID THAT SOME TIME AGO IT HAD BECOME OBVIOUS THAT THE FORMER TF COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS DEDICATED TO THE CONCEPT OF EFFICIENCY, WAS ! ITSELF INEFFICIENTLY ARRANGED.
AT A CEREMONY TO OPEN THE COUNCIL'S NEW OFFICES IN OCEAN CENTRE, MR DORWARD SAID, IN THEORY, THE TRADE FACILITATION COMMITTEE WAS AN ADVISORY BODY. RECOMMENDING TO ME OR MY PREDECESSC S VARIOUS PROPOSALS FOR THE SIMPLIFICATION AND STANDARDISATION OF TRADE DOCUMENTATION AND E STREAMLINING OF TRADE PROCEDURES.
+
+ IN PRACTICE, OF COURSE, THE COMMITTEE HAD TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY IN PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THESE IMPROVEMENTS, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR MY DEPARTMENT TO APPEAR TO BE LECTURING BUSINESSMEN ON WHAT WERE ESSENTIALLY COMMERCIAL PRACTICES.+
+ IT HAD NO INDEPENDENT LEGAL STATUS NOR EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS. THE SORT OF PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES IT NEEDED TO BE INVOLVE OFTEN RELATED TO CONTRACTS AND FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS WHICH, LEGALLY SPEAKING, THE COMMITTEE WAS NOT COMPETENT TO UNDERTAKE,+ HE SAID.
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE NEWLY-INDEPENDENT COUNCIL WAS ACHIEVED BY THE HARD WORK AND ENTHUSIASM OF MANY PEOPLE, MR DORWARD PAID PARTICULAR TRIBUTE TO MR IAN TOMLIN.
+HIS TOTAL DEDICATION OVER 15 YEARS TO THE CONCEPTS OF TRADE FACILITATION HAS CARRIED THE PROJECT FORWARD WHEN, AT TIMES, IT MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE FOUNDERED AND HONG KONG'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS MUCH CAUSE TO BE GRATEFUL TO HIM,+ CONCLUDED MR DORWARD.