ENG-1996 — Page 157

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce is the oldest internationally- recognised trade association in Hong Kong. Founded in 1861, it has around 4 000 members. It organises trade and goodwill missions overseas, receives in-bound delegations, and handles trade enquiries. It is authorised by the government to issue certificates of origin and is the sole local issuing authority for International Association Temporarie Admission Carnets. The chamber is represented on many official advisory committees and bodies. It founded and formed the Hong Kong Article Numbering Association, the Hong Kong Coalition of Service Industries and the Hong Kong Franchise Association; and sponsors the Hong Kong Committee of the Pacific Basin Economic Council.

Established in 1900, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce is an association of local Chinese firms, businessmen and professionals. It has a membership of around 6 000. Services provided include the issue of certificates of origin and organisation of seminars, exhibitions, trade missions and other trade promotional activities. The chamber also maintains close links with trade organisations in China. Since 1957, it has issued invitations on behalf of the Chinese Export Commodities Fair authorities to local Chinese firms to attend the fair. It has run courses on Hong Kong's economy for senior Chinese government officials since 1982.

The Hong Kong Management Association is a professional management organisation, incorporated in 1960, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of management in Hong Kong. With a membership of around 11 000, it organises some 1 600 training programmes annually and provides various management services such as the organisation of seminars, award competitions and translation services.

The Hong Kong Exporters' Association was formed in 1955 and has a membership of 400 companies. It disseminates trade information, voices members' concerns and assists in solving trade problems encountered by its members.

Customs and Excise

The Trade Controls Branch of the Customs and Excise Department is responsible for enforcement of the Import and Export Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation relating to certification of origin, import and export controls on textiles and strategic commodities, and the import and export declaration system as well as legislation relating to consumer protection and reserved commodities control.

The branch is the authority responsible for verifying the origin of textiles and clothing products to combat fraudulent declaration of origin and illegal transhipment. It works closely with the Trade Department to safeguard the integrity of the certification of origin and textiles export control systems, which are of vital importance to Hong Kong's continued access to overseas markets.

The branch carries out a vigorous enforcement programme by way of factory and consignment inspections, investigations and prosecutions. In 1996, it carried out 118 409 factory and consignment inspections and 2 057 investigations. It also prosecuted 1 051 defendants, resulting in the imposition of court fines amounting to $10.9 million.

A high level of vigilance and enforcement is maintained against country of origin and transshipment fraud. Enforcement includes the operation of a reward scheme under which a monetary reward will be granted to persons who provide information which leads to successful prosecutions, and the deployment of a task force to target

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