XN000022-1994-08-25 — Page 9

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1994

THE COURT HEARD THAT ACTING ON INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY THE U.S.

WHICH HAD SEIZED THE IMPORTED GOODS, CUSTOMS

HONG KONG CUSTOMS CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION ON THE COMPANY.

THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT BETWEEN AUGUST AND OCTOBER LAST AND YEAR,

THE COMPANY HAD ARRANGED FOR THE GOODS TO BE MANUFACTURED LABELLED "MADE IN FIJI" IN CHINA. THE GOODS WERE THEN TRANSHIPPED FROM CHINA VIA SINGAPORE TO THE USA.

THE U.S. U.S. BUYER

IN ORDER THAT THE GOODS COULD BE CUSTOMS-CLEARED AT END AS PRODUCTS OF FIJIAN ORIGIN, THE COMPANY PROVIDED THE WITH FALSE DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING FORGED FIJIAN CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN.

SAME

THE DURING

IN ROLE PERIOD, FONG PLAYED AN ACTIVE TRANSACTIONS INCLUDING INSPECTION OF THE GOODS IN CHINA BY HERSELF.

THE

MR

THE HEAD OF CUSTOMS TRADING STANDARDS INVESTIGATION BUREAU,

HAD BEEN WONG CHUN KWONG, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT THE GOVERNMENT CONCERNED WITH TEXTILES TRANSHIPMENT FRAUD OF THIS KIND.

THE

AND CUSTOMS

EXCISE DEPARTMENT WOULD

ACTIONS TO TRACK DOWN SUCH MALPRACTICE ENFORCEMENT COMMERCIAL REPUTATION OF HONG KONG.

UP STEP

THEIR TO PROTECT THE

"THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR EACH COUNT OF TRADE DESCRIPTION OFFENCE IS $500,000 FINE PLUS FIVE YEARS' IMPRISONMENT ON AND

$100,000

FINE PLUS

CONVICTION, MR WONG ADDED.

TWO YEARS'

IMPRISONMENT

INDICTMENT, UPON SUMMARY

ACTING GOVERNOR SEES TAX COLLECTION WORK

THE ACTING GOVERNOR, MRS ANSON CHAN, VISITED THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT THIS (THURSDAY) AFTERNOON TO TAKE A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT ITS OPERATION AND RECENT EFFORTS TO FURTHER ENHANCE ITS SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC.

ACCOMPANIED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE, MR ANTHONY AU-YEUNG, MRS CHAN VISITED VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT INCLUDING THE TAX RETURN OFFICE, THE BUSINESS REGISTRATION OFFICE AND THE ENQUIRY SERVICE CENTRE.

AT THE TAX RETURN OFFICE AND THE BUSINESS REGISTRATION

OFFICE, SHE SAW THE LATEST OFFICE AUTOMATION FACILITIES INCLUDING COMPUTER- BASED ON-LINE ENQUIRIES AND DATA STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL USING IMAGING

TECHNOLOGY.

DURING THE VISIT, MRS CHAN LEARNED THAT THE DEPARTMENT COLLECTED IN 1993/94 A RECORD OF $95.7 BILLION IN REVENUE WHICH WAS ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE TOTAL GENERAL REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE GOVERNMENT LAST FINANCIAL YEAR.

/SHE WAS