XN000022-1987-06-05 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1987

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES BILL PUBLISHED

UPDATING HONG KONG'S WEIGHTS AND MEASURES LEGISLATION FIRST PUBLICATION OF A BILL IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE.

SAW THE

THE CURRENT LEGISLATION WAS ENACTED IN 1885 AND LAST AMENDED IN 1937 AND FAILS TO MEET MODERN REQUIREMENTS.

IN

THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES BILL 1987 PUBLISHED

TODAY'S IS (FRIDAY) GOVERNMENT GAZETTE HAS TEXTS IN CHINESE AND ENGLISH. THIS

A NUMBER TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE BILINGUAL LAWS PROJECT BY INTRODUCING

A "DUMMY RUN", THE ASSISTANT OF BILLS IN BOTH LANGUAGES BY WAY OF SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR STEVE BARCLAY SAID.

ALTHOUGH THE BILL IS

PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH AND

AND PASSED INTO LAW. CHINESE, ONLY THE FORMER TEXT WILL BE DEBATED

COMMENT ON THE CHINESE TEXT WILL ALLOW INTERESTED PARTIES TO SEE AND HOW SUCH LEGISLATION SHOULD BE PRESENTED IN THE FUTURE.

THE PRESENT ORDINANCE HAS TWO MAIN FAILINGS IN THAT IT DOES NOT AND COVER THE METRIC SYSTEM, TO WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED,

FOR ENFORCEMENT

BOTH

AND ITS PROVISIONS

ARE INEFFECTIVE.NEITHER THE TREASURY NOR THE POLICE KEEP THE DETAILED REFERENCE STANDARDS REQUIRED BY THE PRESENT LAW.

INAPPROPRIATE HAS THE ABILITY TO

TO

"THIS BILL WILL STRENGTHEN HONG INTERNATIONAL TRADING COMMUNITY," SAID MR BARCLAY. "WE

ACCEPTED STANDARDS BE

INTERNATIONALLY USING CAPABILITY OF MEETING THE STANDARDS OF OVERSEAS MARKETS.

KONG'S

REPUTATION

WILL

IN

AND

ΤΟ

THE BE SEEN HAVE

A

HE SAID THAT WITHIN HONG KONG THE INTERESTS OF BOTH

OF RATIONAL USE AND TRADERS WILL BE SAFEGUARDED BY THE

OF IMPERIAL AND CHINESE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. THE USE

UNDER THE BILL BUT THEY WILL BE STILL BE PERMITTED REFERENCE TO THE APPROPRIATE METRIC UNIT.

CONSUMERS AND MODERN UNITS WILL DEFINED

BY

THE NEW BILL WILL:

+

DEFINE UNITS

OF MEASUREMENT FOR

USE

IN

HONG

KONG AND AND

STIPULATE BOTH THE UNITS OF MEASUREMENT AND THE WEIGHTS MEASURES LAWFUL FOR USE IN TRADE.

*

PROVIDE FOR REFERENCE STANDARDS TO BE MAINTAINED.

EQUIPMENT

MANUFACTURE,

SUPPLY

PROVIDE FOR OFFENCES AGAINST THE FRAUDULENT USE OF OR MEASURING

FOR TRADE AND THE AND USE OF EQUIPMENT

WEIGHING POSSESSION,

WHICH

IS

*

UNAUTHORISED, FALSE OR DEFECTIVE.

TRADE

GIVE REGULATION-MAKING POWERS GOVERNING INVOLVING THE USE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES; AND

PROVIDE FOR LEGISLATION.

AN

ADMINISTRATIVE

TRANSACTIONS

MACHINERY TO

ENFORCE

THE

THE COMMISSIONER FOR

CUSTOMS AND EXCISE WILL

HAVE OVERALL THE BILL,

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF ASSISTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY AND THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST.

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