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THURSDAY APRIL 18, 1985
+A BILL TO CONTROL MALPRACTICES BY TRAVEL AGENTS HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR THREE YEARS SINCE 1982, AND THAT WAS AFTER FIVE YEARS OF REPEATED REQUESTS FROM THE CONSUMER COUNCIL, WHICH FIRST PUT FORWARD THE ARGUMENTS FOR LEGISLATION IN 1978.
+BOTH BILLS HAVE YET TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THIS COUNCIL.
+1 AM, HOWEVER, GRATEFUL TO THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES WHO HAS SYMPATHETICALLY RECOGNISED THE PROBLEM AND BEEN MOST ENCOURAGING IN EXPEDITING THE SOLUTION, SHE SAID.
+A CASE IN POINT WHICH I FIND PARTICULARLY GRATIFYING IS HIS SWIFT ACTION TO STUDY POSSIBLE LEGISLATION TO CURB MALPRACTICES BY RETAILERS OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC APPLIANCES WHICH HE ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY.
+FOR MUCH AS I SHARE HIS VIEW ON THE POWER OF PERSUASION, THERE COMES A TIME WHEN ANYTHING SHORT OF A PRISON SENTENCE OR A CRIMINAL RECORD WOULD BE TOO MILD A DETERRENT FOR THE DIE-HARD FRAUDULENT RETAILER.+
MRS CHOW ALSO THANKED MISS OPHELIA CHEUNG, WHO HAD SERVED AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE COUNCIL UNTIL THE END OF 1984.
MISS CHEUNG WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ESTABLISHING THE COUNCIL'S LEADING POSITION IN THE CONSUMER MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG, AND ALSO FOR PLACING HONG KONG ON THE MAP OF INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER CAMPAIGNS, SHE SAID.
BILL PASSED ***
THE PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANTS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984 WAS PASSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
FOUR OTHER BILLS WERE READ A SECOND TIME AND DEBATE ON THEM WAS ADJOURNED.
THEY ARE: THE PUBLIC FINANCE (AMENDMENT) BILL 1985, THE AUDIT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1985, THE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES (JOINT LIAISON GROUP) BILL 1985 AND THE HONG KONG INDUSTRIAL ESTATES CORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1985.
THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED TO MAY 1.
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