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INDUSTRY AND TRADE
enquiries from overseas and deals with specific industrial problems. It also operates certificate of origin and Commonwealth preference procedures. An industry inspection service enforces these procedures through the regular inspection of factories and goods and the prosecution of those suspected of contravening the regulations.
The Preventive Service, a uniformed and disciplined organisation, whose role in the protection of revenue from dutiable commodities and the control of narcotics traffic is described in Chapter 10, is under the command of an Assistant Commissioner. The service has an establishment of 11 gazetted officers, 291 inspectors and 668 rank and file.
The General Duties Branch deals with trade licensing (other than for textiles) and the control of certain reserved commodities including rice. Trade complaints are also handled by this branch.
Trade Development Council
The Trade Development Council was formed as a statutory corporation in 1966. The council's chairman is appointed by the Governor while members of the council comprise representatives of principal commercial and industrial organisations, two senior government officials and four nominated members.
In September it was announced that the council's chairman since its establishment, Dr the Honourable Sir Sik-nin Chau, would retire and the Honourable Y. K. Kan was appointed his successor.
It is financed by subvention from the Government's general revenue. Overseas, at the beginning of the year, the council had offices in London, New York, Brussels, Sydney and Nairobi and, during the year, opened new offices in Frankfurt, Stockholm, Vienna, Chicago, Los Angeles and Tokyo. This wider representation will create closer contact with market areas, a better service for Hong Kong businessmen on visits overseas and an improved flow of trade information and trade enquiries back to head office.
An extensive programme of promotional activities was undertaken including attendance at major European specialised and general trade fairs, fashion promotions staged in London, Dusseldorf, Tokyo, Osaka and Hong Kong, a series of department store promo- tions in the United States, incoming buying missions from Britain,
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