XN000022-1994-09-15 — Page 6

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1994

THE WORK WOULD START SOON AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION (WTO).

A TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON RULES OF ORIGIN UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE CUSTOMS CO-OPERATION COUNCIL, WITH ITS EXPERT INPUT, WOULD PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SUPPORT FOR THE HARMONISATION WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT BY A WTO COMMITTEE ON RULES OF ORIGIN. THE WORK PROGRAMME WAS TO BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS.

THE CANDIDATE SIX-MEMBER

THE CUSTOMS CO-OPERATION COUNCIL HAS ACCEPTED NOMINATED BY HONG KONG AS A TECHNICAL ATTACHE TO THE PROJECT TEAM WHICH STARTED PREPARATORY WORK AT THE HEADQUARTERS IN BRUSSELS THIS MONTH.

COUNCIL'S

WAS MR

WITH

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE CUSTOMS OFFICER TO BE SECONDED DAVID ΤΑΙ YAU-NIM, ACTING PRINCIPAL TRADE CONTROLS OFFICER YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT, ALL OF HAD BEEN RELATED TO TRADE CONTROLS AND COMMERCIAL FRAUD DUTIES.

26

WHICH

HE WOULD REPORT TO THE CUSTOMS CO-OPERATION COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 20.

THE SPOKESMAN ALSO NOTED THAT IT WAS IN HONG KONG'S INTEREST TO

THE IN THE HARMONISATION EXERCISE AND, THROUGH PARTICIPATE

PROCESS, ENSURE THAT THE EXERCISE ACHIEVED THE OBJECTIVES OF NEUTRALITY, CONSISTENCY AND TRANSPARENCY.

THE

IT

THE

WAS

FURTHERMORE, GIVEN THAT HONG KONG HAD STRONGLY ARGUED FOR HARMONISATION OF ORIGIN RULES IN THE URUGUAY ROUND NEGOTIATIONS, WAS APPROPRIATE FOR HONG KONG TO SHOW CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR EXERCISE BY THE SECONDMENT OF AN EXPERIENCED CUSTOMS OFFICER WHO FAMILIAR WITH THE HONG KONG RULES OF ORIGIN SYSTEM TO SERVE AS ATTACHE ON THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE.

IT WOULD ALSO BE GOOD FOR HONG KONG'S IMAGE IN THE CUSTOMS COUNCIL AND THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE

CO-

AND

OPERATION WTO.

HK POPULATION REACHES 6M

WAS

THE ESTIMATED POPULATION OF HONG KONG AT THE END OF JUNE 6,061,400, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 142,400 PERSONS OR 2.4 PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH MID-1993 WHEN THE ESTIMATED POPULATION WAS 5,919,000.

BETWEEN MID-1993 AND MID-1994, THERE WERE 72,000 BIRTHS AND 29,600 DEATHS IN HONG KONG. THE BALANCE OF BIRTHS AND AMOUNTED TO 42,400 AND ACCOUNTED FOR 30 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION GROWTH.

DEATHS

THUS

DURING THE SAME PERIOD, THE BALANCE OF TOTAL ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES SHOWED A NET INFLOW OF SOME 100,000 PERSONS.

0

/6