13 -
The Human Rights Committee's views on domestic issues cover a wide area and will be carefully considered by the responsible Policy Branches. The Committee's recommendations are not binding but they will be taken very seriously. All the issues raised will be addressed.
(b) The Human Rights Committee has requested that the United Kingdom Government submit a brief report on Hong Kong by 31 May 1996 on new developments in respect of the Committee's Concluding Observations. This request will be met. The Hong Kong Government will of course be involved in the preparation of the report. The Committee has stated that it will consider the report at its 58th session to be held in Geneva from 21 October to 8 November 1996.
End/Wednesday, November 15, 1995
Resources deploy to combat cigarette smuggling
Following is a question by the Hon Selina Chow and a reply by the Secretary for the Treasury, Mr K C Kwong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
(b)
(c)
of the manpower and resources which the Government has deployed in the past five years (1990-91 - 1994-95) to combat cigarette smuggling since the drastic increase in tobacco tax;
of the respective numbers of cigarette smuggling cases and persons prosecuted, as well as the quantity of cigarettes seized, in each of the past five years; of the cases which resulted in prosecution, what is the conviction rate and what are the penalties (by suitable intervals) imposed on those convicted; and
whether the Government has made an estimate of the average daily quantity of dutiable cigarettes smuggled into the territory in the past five years; if so, what is the percentage of such quantity when compared with the average daily total quantity of cigarettes imported to the territory; and what is the estimated loss to the Government in duty revenue and to cigarette dealers respectively, in the same period?