XN000022-1988-04-05 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1988

CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT OF TEXTILES EXPORT CONTROL

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AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASING TRANSFER OF MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES TO CHINA, THERE WAS A 60 PER CENT INCREASE LAST YEAR IN CUSTOMS INVESTIGATIONS INTO FALSE DECLARATIONS OF ORIGIN AND THE VALUE OF GOODS INVOLVED.

IN ENFORCING TEXTILES EXPORT CONTROL, THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR CARRIED OUT A TOTAL OF 34,932 INSPECTIONS ON TEXTILES CONSIGNMENTS, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN THE NUMBER OF DETECTIONS OF FRAUD FROM 222 IN 1986 TO 326 LAST YEAR.

DURING THE YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT ALSO CONDUCTED 1,116 FULL INVESTIGATIONS INTO TEXTILE FRAUD, AN INCREASE OF 41 PER CENT OVER 1986. OF THESE, 320 WERE CONNECTED WITH ALLEGED FALSE CHINESE TEXTILE EXPORT VISAS COVERING SHIPMENTS OF CHINESE TEXTILES EXPORTED FROM HONG KONG TO THE U.S.

THE REMAINING 796 CASES WERE RELATED TO CIRCUMVENTIONS OF THE QUOTA SYSTEM, INCLUDING FALSE REPRESENTATION AS TO COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, BREACH OF QUOTA SUPPLY CONDITIONS, CIRCUMVENTION OF FREE QUOTA SCHEMES AND CIRCUMVENTION OF SAMPLE LICENSING CONDITIONS.

THEY LED TO 482 PROSECUTIONS AND 224 CASES WERE DEALT WITH BY ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTION.

FRAUD

MOREOVER, THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS PROSECUTED FOR TEXTILE HAD ALSO INCREASED BY 40 PER CENT TO A TOTAL OF 459 LAST YEAR.

TOTALLING $9.8 MILLION, THE FINES IMPOSED WERE QUITE HEAVY, REACHING $953,000 IN ONE PARTICULAR CASE. OFFENDERS WERE SANCTIONED ADMINISTRATIVELY BY THE TRADE DEPARTMENT.

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FURTHER

MODIFICATION OF HALLS AT AIRPORT

MODIFICATION WORK WILL BE CARRIED OUT FROM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) ΤΟ THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE HALLS OF THE AIRPORT PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING TO INSTALL COMPUTERISED IMMIGRATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS AND TO IMPROVE TERMINAL FACILITIES.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT SAID THAT OVER A TWO-MONTH PERIOD THE EXISTING IMMIGRATION COUNTERS WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEW DESKS WHICH COULD HOUSE THE COMPUTERISED TRAVEL RECORD AND IMMIGRATION CONTROL SYSTEM.

THE NEW CONTROL SYSTEM IS SCHEDULED ΤΟ BE OPERATIONAL BY AUGUST THIS YEAR.

/THE MODIFICATION