ENG-2020 — Page 136

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Commerce and Industry

and designers at Centrestage 2020 in Hong Kong; and sending delegations of local designers. to fashion weeks in London, New York and Paris.

Promoting Hong Kong as Asia's Creative Capital

Hong Kong fosters collaboration with Mainland and overseas cities to raise the profile of its creative industries locally and internationally. The CSI provided $67.1 million for nine such projects in 2020.

Events in 2020 included the Hong Kong Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture, held in Hong Kong with concurrent exhibits at Futian Railway Station, Shenzhen to promote Hong Kong architecture and collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen; the Business of Design Week 2020, an international iconic event of the design industry, conducted this year mostly online; and the Juxtaposed 2020 fashion exhibition x pop-up event at the Landmark, showcasing designs by 75 local fashion designers.

Consumer Protection

Consumer Council

Established under the Consumer Council Ordinance, the government-appointed Consumer Council protects and promotes the interests of consumers of goods and services and purchasers, mortgagors and lessees of immovable property.

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 issues, and raises public awareness of consumer rights. It maintains close contact with its overseas counterparts to promote and protect consumer interests, and administers the Consumer Legal Action Fund to enhance consumer access to legal remedies. In 2020, the council received 30,935 consumer complaints and 68,737 consumer enquiries, and completed 46 product tests, 27 surveys and 10 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.

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