XN000022-1979-02-14 — Page 23

21

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1979

PROTECTION FOR CONSUMERS

*****

THE GOVERNMENT'S GENERAL POLICY ON CONSUMER PROTECTION IS BASED ON THE VIEW THAT THE BEST PROTECTION FOR CONSUMERS IS FOR CONSUMERS THEMSELVES TO TAKE CARE OVER THE IR PURCHASES.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE HON. D.G. JEAFFRESON TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD INTERVENE ONLY TO PROTECT CONSUMERS WHEN THEY COULD NOT PROTECT THEMSELVES.

MR. JEAFFRESON RECALLED THAT WHEN MR. WONG FIRST RAISED THE QUESTION IN 1976 ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO INTRODUCE MEASURES TO REGULATE THE OPERATIONS OF TRAVEL AGENCIES, THE THEN CHIEF SECRETARY REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE.

+THE CHIEF SECRETARY DREW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT THE CONSUMER COUNCIL WAS INVESTIGATING A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH SOME TRAVEL AGENTS HAD OPERATED PACKAGE TOURS ORIGINATING FROM HONG KONG.

+THE CONSUMER COUNCIL COMPLETED ITS 'REPORT ON TRAVEL AGENTS IN HONG KONG IN JUNE 1978 AND BASICALLY RECOMMENDED LICENSING AND REGULATION OF ALL TRAVEL AGENTS THROUGH LEGISLATION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF A CENTRAL COMPENSATION FUND,+ MR. JEAFFRESON SAID.

HIS INITIAL REACTION, HE SAID, TO THE CONSUMER COUNCIL'S REPORT WAS THAT IT HAD NOT DEMONSTRATED CONVINCINGLY WHY CONSUMERS COULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES IN THE PURCHASE OF PACKAGE HOLIDAYS.

+ BUT IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THE REPORT WAS GIVEN SERIOUS AND UNBIASED CONSIDERATION, I ASKED MY STAFF TO EXAMINE IT INDEPENDENTLY OF MY OWN VIEWS- THIS HAS TAKEN SOME TIME, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NEARLY READY TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A FORMAL ANSWER.+

-

.22