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Public Order

Quality Assurance

To uphold and improve service standards, the CSD initiates enhancements of safety, security and the overall workflow through regular inspections, management studies, and innovation and technology.

Complaints

The CSD's Complaints Investigation Unit handles and investigates complaints related to the department. Investigation reports are examined by the CSD Complaints Committee. A complainant dissatisfied with the investigation outcome may appeal to the CSD Complaints Appeal Board. Persons in custody may lodge complaints with any CSD officer or through other channels, such as the visiting JPs, the Ombudsman and members of the Legislative Council.

Customs and Excise Department

The Customs and Excise Department is responsible primarily for the collection of revenue on dutiable goods, prevention of duty evasion, suppression of drug trafficking and abuse, prevention and detection of smuggling, and protection of intellectual property rights. The department also enforces legislation to protect consumer interests, safeguard and facilitate legitimate trade and industry, uphold Hong Kong's trading integrity and fulfil relevant international obligations. At 31 December, it had 7,403 posts.

Revenue Protection and Collection

The department collects excise duties from commodities stipulated in the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance: liquor, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil and methyl alcohol. It administers a licensing and permit system to ensure no dutiable commodities, whether imported or locally manufactured, are released for local consumption unless full duty has been paid. During the 2019-20 financial year, the department collected $11.4 billion in excise duties, about 7 per cent more than in 2018-19.

The department assesses the taxable values of motor vehicles under the Motor Vehicles (First Registration Tax) Ordinance, resulting in the collection of $7.2 billion first registration tax by the Transport Department in 2019-20, during which 53,293 motor vehicles were first registered.

The department takes sustained enforcement action against illicit cigarette activities on all fronts and cooperates with Mainland and overseas customs authorities to stamp out cross- boundary cigarette smuggling through intelligence exchange.

In 2020, the department detected 3,160 cases involving the smuggling, storage, distribution and peddling of illicit cigarettes, an 82 per cent decrease from 2019, and seized 205.3 million. illicit cigarettes, a 270 per cent increase from 2019. Fines were imposed on 1,796 travellers, a year-on-year drop of 88 per cent, for bringing into Hong Kong a total of 400,000 cigarettes in excess of their duty-free concession.

The department takes sustained action to stamp out illicit fuel activities. In 2020, it detected 42 illicit fuel cases, arrested 160 people and seized 169,500 litres of illicit fuel. The number of cases was 35 per cent more than in 2019.

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