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Import and Export (Registration) (Amendment) Regulation 1995

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Trade and Industry, Miss Denise Yue, in moving the motion that section 5 of the Import and Export (Registration) (Amendment) Regulation 1995, made by the Governor in Council on 21 November 1995, be approved' in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I move the motion which has been printed on the Order Paper namely 'that section 5 of the Import and Export (Registration) (Amendment) Regulation 1995, made by the Governor in Council on 21 November 1995, be approved".

The purpose of this motion is to include a new method for traders using the Community Electronic Trading Service provided by Tradelink to pay declaration charges to the Government.

At present, trade declarations may be lodged either in person or by post. The corresponding declaration charges should be paid in cash or by cheque at the time of lodging the declaration.

It is now possible for traders to lodge trade declarations using the Community Electronic Trading Service, a paperless method of conducting business. Those traders using this service will need to have another method of paying the Government.

Tradelink and Government have agreed that Tradelink will, on behalf of its customers, pay the Government the declaration charges for all declarations lodged using its service and then recover such sums from the relevant customers through its normal billing system.

Section 5 of the Import and Export (Registration) (Amendment) Regulation 1995 is amended to retain both the existing payment methods and to add the new payment method as agreed to by Government and Tradelink.

Mr President, I beg to move.

End