ENG-2018 — Page 141

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Commerce and Industry

The council tests consumer products, conducts market surveys, monitors prices and trade practices, handles complaints and enquiries, advises the government and public authorities on consumer protection, and raises awareness of consumer rights. It maintains close contact with its counterparts round the world to promote and protect consumer interests, and administers. the Consumer Legal Action Fund, which enhances consumer access to legal remedies.

In 2018, the council received 26,165 consumer complaints and 77,952 consumer enquiries, and completed 44 product tests, 29 surveys and 17 in-depth studies. It published the findings and disseminated practical consumer advice in its monthly magazine, Choice.

Enforcement of Legislation

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

The Trade Descriptions Ordinance prohibits unfair trade practices commonly deployed against consumers of goods and services, including false trade descriptions, misleading omissions, aggressive commercial practices, bait advertising, bait-and-switch and wrongly accepting payments.

The Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance is updated regularly to ensure toys and other children's products supplied in Hong Kong comply with operative, up-to-date international safety standards.

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 over goods and services. In 2018, the department carried out 8,929 spot checks and concluded 308 enforcement cases.

The Government Laboratory provides analytical and advisory services to the department in the enforcement of consumer protection legislation. In 2018, the laboratory carried out 33,487 tests to check the compliance of toys, children's products and consumer goods with safety standards, and to determine the weight of retail goods. Where necessary, it conducted on-site investigations in support of the enforcement of the Weights and Measures Ordinance. The laboratory also carried out 5,608 tests to examine the authenticity of commodities and the correctness of trade descriptions as part of investigations under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.

Trade in Endangered Species

The Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It regulates the import, export, re-export, introduction from the sea or possession of endangered species. The commercial import, export and re-export of highly endangered species are prohibited, and international trade in less endangered species is subject to licensing requirements.

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