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The other three service sectors are basic telecommunications, financial services and movement of natural persons. Negotiations on these three sectors were concluded with interim agreements reached.
After the maritime transport service negotiations, Mr Tam will join the Hong Kong delegation in attending the Informal Ministerial Meeting at Lausanne on July 1 and 2 before returning to Hong Kong.
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Insurance agent jailed for tax evasion
A 39-year-old insurance agent who was found guilty of eight counts of tax evasion charges on May 27 was today (Monday) sentenced by the Wanchai District Court to three months' imprisonment.
In addition, he was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 on each charge and a further fine of $840,000 which is equivalent to three times of the total tax evaded.
The defendant was allowed six months to pay the fine, failing which, he would be subject to a further imprisonment of six months.
The defendant, Paul Ng Wing-keung, is a Senior Agency Manager of National Mutual Company Limited and the proprietor of Paul Ng & Co.
He was charged with making fraudulent claims for tax deductible expenses for the four tax years from 1988/89 to 1991/92, contrary to Section 82(1)(c) and Section 82(1)(g) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Chapter 112). The false deduction claims amounted to $1,887,840 and the profits tax evaded was $284,391.
Delivering his judgement, Judge Sweeney commented that tax evasion is a serious offence, affecting community as a whole and should be liable to immediate imprisonment.
After taking into account the clear record and special circumstances containing in the Probation Officer's Report and mitigation made by the defence counsel, he sentenced the defendant to three months' imprisonment on each charge, to run concurrently.
Under the Inland Revenue Ordinance, a tax evader is liable to a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment and a fine of $50,000 on each charge, in addition to a further fine equivalent to three times the amount of tax undercharged.
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