ENG-2015 — Page 137

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Commerce and Industry

Consumer Protection

Consumer Council

The Consumer Council is a statutory body which protects and promotes the interests of consumers of goods and services and purchasers, mortgagors and lessees of immovable property. The council comprises 22 government-appointed members, including the chairman. and vice-chairman.

The council's work includes testing consumer products, conducting market surveys, monitoring prices and trade practices, handling complaints and enquiries, advising the government and public authorities on consumer protection, and educating consumers. It also administers the Consumer Legal Action Fund, which enhances consumer access to legal remedies.

In 2015, the council received 27,378 consumer complaints and 98,494 consumer enquiries, and completed 42 product tests, 35 surveys and 24 in-depth studies. It publishes the findings and disseminates practical consumer advice in its monthly magazine, Choice.

During the year, the council continued to raise awareness of consumer rights through various activities. It also maintained close contact with its counterparts around the world in promoting and protecting consumer interests.

Enforcement of Consumer Protection Legislation

The Customs and Excise Department enforces the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance, the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance, the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, and the Weights and Measures Ordinance.

In order to ensure toys and other children's products supplied in Hong Kong are subject to up- to-date and operative international safety standards, the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance is updated regularly. Updated safety standards for items listed in Schedule 2 of the ordinance came into effect in October 2015.

The department carries out spot checks and investigations to ensure toys, children's products and consumer goods supplied locally are safe and that the quantity of goods supplied in the course of trade by weight and other measures is accurate, and to guard against false trade descriptions and other unfair trade practices in respect of goods and services. In 2015, the department carried out 9,245 spot checks and concluded 482 enforcement cases.

The Government Laboratory provides analytical and advisory services to the department in the enforcement of consumer protection legislation. In 2015, the laboratory carried out 33,801 tests to check the compliance of toys, children's products and consumer goods with safety standards, and to determine the weight of retailed goods. Where necessary, it conducted on-site investigations in support of the enforcement of the Weights and Measures Ordinance. The laboratory also carried out 5,948 tests to examine the authenticity of commodities and the correctness of trade descriptions as part of investigations under the Trade Descriptions. Ordinance.

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