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INDUSTRY AND TRADE

The Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo Offices also contain In- dustrial Promotion Units which promote direct investment in manufacturing. In North America these efforts were strengthened by the appointment early in 1990 of a directorate level co-ordinator to oversee and supervise all industrial investment promotional activities. With the exception of Geneva, all offices act as a point of direct contact between Hong Kong and the host country, and the local media and organisations with an interest in Hong Kong. They keep under review the commercial, economic and industrial developments and official thinking on international trade policies and advise the Hong Kong Government on the likely repercussions of such developments. The Washington, New York and San Francisco offices also assist with the recruitment in the United States and Canada of administrative officers for Hong Kong. The London Office provides assistance to Hong Kong people in the United Kingdom, including Hong Kong students, and supervises the recruitment and training of Hong Kong public servants in the United Kingdom. The Marine Adviser based in London is Hong Kong's permanent representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). His role is to ensure that Hong Kong's independent shipping policies are developed and promoted at the IMO and other international organisations. He acts as a focus in London for all technical, legal and general maritime matters pertaining to Hong Kong, particularly the autonomous Hong Kong Shipping Register which came into operation on December 3, 1990. Details of representation overseas are at Appendix 6.

Customs and Excise Department

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The Trade Controls Branch of the Customs and Excise Department is responsible for the enforcement of Hong Kong's ordinances and regulations relating to trade controls such as origin certification, import and export licensing of textiles and strategic commodities, reserved commodities control, verification and assessment of trade declarations, consumer protection, and weights and measures.

During the year, a high level of enforcement was maintained in upholding the integrity of Hong Kong's certification and licensing systems and fulfilling obligations under international trade agreements. In particular, action was stepped up against textile origin fraud by increasing the number of textile consignment inspections. As a result of the extension of reward schemes to include information on origin abuses of textiles which are subject to export quota restraint, there was a significant increase in the number of textile origin fraud cases detected.

The branch stepped up its efforts on consumer protection, particularly the Weights and Measures Ordinance. Resulting from wide publicity, there was a sharp increase in the number of complaints received and investigation into the complaints resulted in many convictions.

In addition, preparatory work was completed for the introduction of safety controls on toys and children's products in 1991.

Government Supplies Department

The Government Supplies Department is the government's central organisation for procurement and distribution of supplies required by 55 government departments and nine agencies.