Commerce and Industry 105
co-operation with its trading partners to keep abreast of developments in the international arena on strategic trade control matters, and to make sure that its control arrangement is complementary to those of its trading partners.
In 2010, the Customs and Excise Department investigated 260 cases of unlicensed import and export of strategic commodities and prosecuted 62 offenders, resulting in fines amounting to $1.65 million. Goods valued at $24,250 were confiscated.
Customs Co-operation
The Customs and Excise Department plays an active role in the work of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and the APEC's Sub-committee on Customs. Procedures. It maintains close liaison with the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific (RILO A/P) in Beijing. The department has seconded an officer to the Liaison Office to enhance the intelligence network in the Asia- Pacific Region.
Hong Kong is taking steps to implement the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (FOS), which is a set of principles and standards adopted by the WCO for enhancing supply chain security and facilitating international trade. One of the core standards under FoS is the introduction of an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Scheme.
The department launched a 12-month AEO Pilot Programme in June 2010 to test the effectiveness of the AEO accreditation mechanism. The Pilot Programme complies with the standards under the FOS, and offers two tiers of AEO to cope with the local trading environment.
The department maintains a good co-operative network with other customs administrations and law enforcement agencies. Regular bilateral meetings are held with the Mainland and other customs authorities for exchanging intelligence and experience on enforcement. The department has also concluded bilateral co-operative arrangements with a number of customs administrations.
Inward Investment Promotion
In 2010, notwithstanding the challenges of the global economic downturn, Invest Hong Kong assisted a record 284 overseas, Mainland and Taiwan companies in setting up or expanding operations in Hong Kong4, involving direct investment of some HK$8.1 billion and the creation of about 6 000 new jobs within the first two years of their operation/expansion5.
The department organised a range of activities in 2010 including sector-focused events that provided networking platforms for overseas companies from various industries and services. It also organised programmes for foreign communities in
4
These represent companies assisted by Invest Hong Kong, and do not include companies set up in Hong Kong without such assistance.
5 These represent investment amount and job opportunities reported by the companies assisted by
Invest Hong Kong. Not all of these companies disclosed the data.
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