XN000022-1983-04-04 — Page 6

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MONDAY, APRIL 4, 1983

MR LI SAID MEDICINE DEALERS SHOULD NOW BE AWARE THAT IF THEY DEAL IN ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS THEY WILL NOT ONLY BE DETECTED, BUT WILL ALSO FACE HEAVY PENALTIES FROM THE COURTS.

MR LI FEELS THAT THE TIME HAS COME FOR INCREASING THE PENALTIES UNDER THE PHARMACY AND POISONS ORDINANCE, WHICH AT THE MOMENT STIPULATES A MAXIMUM FINE OF $10 000 AND IMPRISONMENT FOR A YEAR.

+ IT MAY BE DESIRABLE TO INCREASE THE PENALTY AS THE LAST TIME THE ORDINANCE WAS AMENDED WAS IN 1972, + SAID MR LI.

THE FORENSIC PHARMACY SECTION HAS PROVED TO BE EFFECTIVE IN DETECTING ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS IN MEDICINE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

IN 1980 THERE WERE ONLY 29 PROSECUTIONS IN ILLEGAL SALE OF CONTROLLED DRUGS, BUT IN 1981 THE FIGURE TRIPLED TO 77 AND FELL TO 55 LAST YEAR, WHICH SHOWS THAT THE SUDDEN INCREASE IN CASES TWO YEARS AGO WAS THE RESULT OF VIGOROUS EFFORTS BY THE FORENSIC PHARMACISTS WHILE THE DROP IN FIGURES THE FOLLOWING YEAR INDICATED MEDICINE DEALERS WERE WARY THAT THE AUTHORITIES MEANT BUSINESS.

IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR WE HAVE ALREADY CLOSE TO 20 CASES, SAID MR LI.

+WITH THE CO-OPERATION OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE INVESTIGATION OF ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS AND IN CONDUCTING SURVEILLANCE OF SUSPECT CASES,+ HE SAID.

THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG'S ORIGIN CERTIFICATES

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IN 1982, HONG KONG EXPORTED $35 458 MILLION WORTH OF GOODS UNDER ORIGIN CERTIFICATES OF ONE TYPE OR THE OTHER.

THEY WERE ISSUED BY THE TRADE DEPARTMENT AND THE OTHER FIVE GOVERNMENT-APPROVED CERTIFICATION ORGANISATIONS.

+ORIGIN CERTIFICATES WERE REQUIRED FOR 43.6 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL 1982 DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF $83 032 MILLION. THIS FIGURE REFLECTS THE IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG'S CERTIFICATION SYSTEM WHICH IS GEARED TO HELP EXPORTERS WITH CUSTOMS CLEARANCE, AND MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE IMPORTING COUNTRIES,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRADE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

THE TRADE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFEGUARDING THE INTEGRITY OF THE ENTIRE HONG KONG CERTIFICATION SYSTEM, MAINTAINS CLOSE LIAISON WITH THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT, OVERSEAS CUSTOMS AUTHORITIES AND WITH THE FIVE GOVERNMENT- APPROVED CERTIFICATION ORGANISATIONS THE HK GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THE INDIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE THE FEDERATION OF HK INDUSTRIES THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG AND THE CHINESE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

/TC SAERCISE