XN000022-1987-07-08 — Page 58

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1987

WEIGHTS BILL HAS PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS

**

AND

THERE ARE PRACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEMS OF THE WEIGHTS MEASURES BILL 1987, WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE BILL THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL, MR CHEONG SAID INDUSTRY SUPPORTED THE SPIRIT OF THE BILL IN REGULATING TRADE TRANSACTIONS REGARDING GOODS SUPPLIED BY WEIGHT OR MEASURE.

HOWEVER, HE SAID, LEGISLATION COULD SERVE ITS INTENDED ONLY IF COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT WERE MADE PRACTICABLE.

PURPOSE

MR CHEONG SAID: "FIRST OF ALL, THE BILL STIPULATES CLAUSE 16 THAT GOODS HAVE TO BE SUPPLIED BY NET WEIGHT OF MEASURE.

"IN THE CASE OF PRE-PACKED GOODS, ESPECIALLY WHERE INDUSTRY IS CONCERNED, THE USE OF HIGH SPEED FAST-FILLING MAY RESULT IN UNINTENTIONAL SLIGHT VARIATIONS IN THE NET INDIVIDUAL PRE-PACKED ITEMS.

"

+

UNDER

THE FOOD EQUIPMENT WEIGHT OF

LAW,

TO ALLOW FOR REALISTIC AND PRACTICABLE ENFORCEMENT OF THE INDUSTRY DEFINITELY PREFERRED NET WEIGHT TO BE INTERPRETED AS AVERAGE NET WEIGHT WITHIN ACCEPTABLE DEVIATION LIMITS FOR SPECIFIED SAMPLE SIZESA, HE SAID.

ENFORCEMENT

MR CHEONG ALSO SAID IN OVERSEAS COUNTRIES, AUTHORITIES OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES LEGISLATION USUALLY MADE ALLOWANCES FOR QUANTITY DEVIATIONS UP TO SPECIFIED TOLERANCE LEVELS.

HE THEREFORE THOUGHT THAT THE ADOPTION OF SIMILAR ENFORCEMENT GUIDELINES BY THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMUNICATION OF THESE GUIDELINES TO THE TRADE WOULD BE A SENSIBLE MOVE.

SECONDLY, MR CHEONG POINTED OUT THAT UNDER THE EXISTING ORDINANCE, THE USE

TRADITIONAL U.S. UNITS OF MEASUREMENT WAS

ALLOWED.

OF

"HOWEVER, SUCH UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM THE SECOND AND THE THIRD SCHEDULES OF THE BILL. AND THEIR USE WILL THUS BECOME ILLEGAL IN HONG KONG WHEN THE NEW WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE COMES INTO EFFECT.

"THIS WILL RENDER IMPORTED GOODS WHICH ARE LABELLED IN TRADITIONAL U.S UNITS, EVEN THOSE INDICATED IN PARALLEL WITH METRIC UNITS, ILLEGAL, HE SAID.

D

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/HE SUGGESTED