ENG-1999 — Page 156

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

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Established in 1900, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce is an association of local Chinese firms, businessmen and professionals. It has over 6 000 members. Services provided include electronic trade documents and trade enquiry services, the issuance of certificates of origin and organisation of seminars, trade missions and other trade promotional activities. The chamber also maintains close links with trade organisations world-wide. Since 1957, it has issued invitations on behalf of the Chinese Export Commodities Fair authorities to local firms. The chamber also runs regular familiarisation courses on Hong Kong's economy for senior Mainland officials.

The Hong Kong Management Association is a non-profit-making professional organisation incorporated in 1960 to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of management in Hong Kong. With a membership of around 15 000, it offers over 2000 training programmes annually, provides various management services, and organises a series of awards and competitions.

The Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association was established in 1991. It has about 1000 members which consist of enterprises that are wholly-owned by Mainland investors or in joint ventures with Hong Kong or overseas investors. The objective of the association is to promote the co-operation and development of industries, commerce, finance, trade and technology between the Mainland, Hong Kong and other countries or territories.

The Hong Kong Exporters' Association was established in 1955. Since then, it has been an active promoter of Hong Kong's export and re-export trade. In mid-1999, it had around 450 members.

Customs and Excise

Trade Controls

The Trade Controls Branch of the Customs and Excise Department is responsible for enforcing various trade control systems, including the certification of origin system, the textiles import and export control system, the strategic commodities control system and the import and export declaration system.

The enforcement programmes are aimed at upholding the integrity of these systems for protecting and facilitating legitimate trade and industry, which is vital to the economy of Hong Kong. The branch works closely with the Trade Department to combat false declarations of origin and values of goods, illegal transshipment of textiles and illicit trade in strategic commodities. This is done through factory and consignment inspections, investigations and prosecutions. In 1999, the branch carried out 76 894 factory and consignment inspections and 3 579 investigations. It successfully prosecuted 1413 offenders, resulting in the imposition of fines amounting to $25.29 million.

To strengthen the enforcement measures to combat illegal transshipment of textiles, the branch carries out factory audit checks and consignment factory inspections. It operates a monetary reward scheme to elicit information about textiles origin fraud.

The branch monitors the stock of reserved commodities such as rice and frozen meat to ensure that there is always an adequate supply of essential foodstuff in Hong Kong at reasonably stable prices.