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INDUSTRY AND TRADE

similar interests to share and further develop their expertise. It regularly offers management consultancy and knowledge/skill oriented courses. More than 1000 programmes are offered annually, catering to over 30 000 executives. A highlight of the association's activities is the annual conference which provides a platform for eminent speakers to share their knowledge, experience and new thinking on the practice of management. Other management services provided by the association include the publication of The Hongkong Manager, a bilingual management journal, library and information services, seminars and forums, inter-firm competitions and translation services. To generate better management practices in small to medium-sized businesses, the association operates a Business Enter- prise Management Centre and a series of Chinese-language books on management has been compiled.

Consumer Council

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The Consumer Council, established in 1974, is responsible for protecting and promoting the interests of consumers of goods and services. It comprises a chairman and members, not more than 15, who are appointed by the Governor and come from various walks of life. The council has a staff of 92 and is financed primarily by an annual subvention from the government.

The council provides a comprehensive consumer protection service covering consumer representation and legislation, advice and complaints, research and testing, information and education. It maintains close co-operation with the government and is represented on many committees to tender specialist advice on a wide range of consumer concerns.

In 1985, the council opened two more consumer advice centres, bringing the total number throughout the territory to 14. These centres are in daily contact with the public, providing shopping advice and receiving consumer complaints. During the year, the council dealt with 112 304 enquiries for advice and 9 551 complaints.

In a concerted effort to deal with dishonest or unfair practices by some retailers, the council in 1985 resorted to the public censure of those traders about whom it received a high number of justified complaints. Altogether 13 shops were named. This resulted in widespread publicity in the media and in an improvement in retail trading standards. The year also saw the enactment of three pieces of consumer protection legislation, namely, the Gold Marking Order under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, the Money Changers (Disclosure of Rates, Charges and Commission) Ordinance, and the Travel Agents Ordinance. This latter ordinance provides for the registration and licensing of travel agents and the creation of a reserve fund to compensate customers of defaulting travel agents.

A vital function of the council is the collection and dissemination of independent and impartial information to assist consumers in the choice of goods and services that will best suit their needs and requirements. To this end, an extensive programme of research and comparative product testing was implemented. Findings of research and tests, complete with information on brand names, are published regularly in the council's monthly magazine Choice. In December, the magazine was given a new look to appeal to a wider audience, boosting the circulation to 40 000.

As part of a continuing campaign to improve standards of consumer education and awareness, the council worked closely with schools and the Education Department, providing talks to both students and teachers and organising extra-curricular activities. A drama competition on the theme of consumer rights was held in March and a new educational television film, entitled A Fair Deal, was produced to supplement the existing