CUSTOMS NEWS

C o m m i t m e n t a n d E x c e l l e n c e

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THE COMMISSIONER SPEAKS

http://www.customs.gov.hk2011 August • Issue No.45

T h i s i s t h e l a s t t i m e I , a s Commissioner of the Hong Kong Customs and Excise, “speak” in this column of Customs News. After serving for four years, I am leaving my post as Commissioner in September. It has truly been an honour and privilege for me to lead one of the finest organisations and most professional Customs services in the world.

One of the most memorable events during my tenure as Commissioner is the celebration of the centenary of the Hong Kong Customs. It has not only been a joyous moment and a great milestone for the Department. It also gave us an opportunity to reflect on the great transformation that the world Customs and in particular the Hong Kong Customs has gone th rough in the past century.

Customs used to be seen as a “tax collector” and a hurdle to trade. But this perception has completely changed. Today, Customs has assumed a much bigger and wider role in trade facilitation, in ensuring supp l y cha in secu r i t y, and i n protecting the safety and security of society. The Hong Kong Customs is proud to be at the forefront of this development.

A re l i ab l e , cus tome r f r i end l y and efficient customs clearance service enjoyed by our trade is one of the strengths that underpin

Hong Kong’s success as one of the world’s largest ports and logistic hubs. Through rigorously enforcement of intellectual property r i gh ts ( IPRs ) , the Hong Kong Customs has not only protected the rights of IP owners but also helped promote innovation and maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness as a premier trade and business centre.

The Hong Kong Customs also plays a dual role of preventing the entry of unsafe goods and products through our border and enforcing consumer protection laws at the retail level. The work is not only important to protect consumers against unfair, decept i ve o r f raudu len t sa les pract ices, i t a lso helps ensure Hong Kong live up to its image as a shopper’s paradise and make Hong Kong one of the major tourist destinations in the world.

The modern day dut ies of the Hong Kong Customs, ranging from border security, to anti-smuggling, drug prevention, IPRs enforcement, trade facil itation, and consumer protection, are a far cry from the origin work of collecting alcohol duties which the 25 officers of the Preventive Service was set up to do 100 years ago. The success and the good image enjoyed by the Hong Kong Customs today bear a strong testimony to the integrity, professionalism and versatility of all members of the Department.

Th i s cu l t u re o f “Commi tmen t and Exce l l ence” i s bu i l t on a strong foundation laid down by generations of Customs and Trade Control Officers who have served Hong Kong tirelessly throughout the years. I have every confidence that the fine men and women of the Hong Kong Customs will upkeep this traditional and am sure they will continue to serve Hong Kong with distinction and make the Hong Kong Customs an exemplar of professional Customs Service.

While I will be moving on and will serve the Hong Kong Government in a different capacity, once having been a member of the Customs Service, I wil l always be part of the Customs family. I wish the Hong Kong Customs and all of you every success and look forward to watching the Hong Kong Customs scale new heights!

Richard Yuen Commissioner

CUSTOMS NEWSCUSTOMS NEWS


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To help the public get a thorough

understanding of Hong Kong

Customs which has been serving

the territory for over a century,

Hong Kong Customs decided to

set up an exhibition centre on the

work, history and development

of the Department at the new

Customs Headquarters Building

(CHB) when the permanent home

was under planning years ago.

W i t h t h e o f f i c i a l

opening of CHB in

February 2011, the

200-square-metre

Customs Exhibition

Gallery on the 10/F

of CHB also came

into operation.

With the theme of “The History

and Development of Hong Kong

Customs in the past 100 years”,

the gallery features the history,

development, contributions and

serv ice a reas o f Hong Kong

Customs through photographs,

models, seizures and videos.

CUSTOMS EXHIBITION GALLERY

The Main Gallery.

The “Anti-narcotics Investigation” section at the Main Gallery shows the drug take-in instruments.

The “Time Tunnel” displays the Department’s development.

C o m m i t m e n t a n d E x c e l l e n c e C o m m i t m e n t a n d E x c e l l e n c e

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Decorated with a photo of “Great

Wall” on the exterior wall, the

gal lery comprises three major

exhibit ion areas, namely, “The

Gateway”, “The Time Tunnel” and

“The Main Gallery”.

“The Gateway” d i sp lays the

chronic le and re lated photos

of China Customs, Hong Kong

Customs and Chinese Maritime

Customs (also known as Kowloon

Customs) in the old days. This

area depicts the h is tory and

development of the three customs

bodies and explains the origin and

meaning of “Customs”.

W i t h t he d i sp l a y o f mode l s

i n h i s t o r i c a l u n i f o r m s i n

d i f f e ren t s imu la ted cus toms

work ing env i ronments , “The

T ime Tunnel” showcases the

Department’s development since

its establ ishment in 1909 and

its roles and duties at different

periods. There are five simulated

working envi ronments set up

at the tunnel area. They are the

“Chinese distillery in the early 20th

century”, “Queen’s Warehouse

in the 1950s”, “anti-narcotics

enforcement in the 1960s”, “anti-

piracy enforcement in the 1970s”

and the “current passenger hall”.

“The Main Gal lery” comprises

s i x s e c t i o n s s h o w i n g t h e

D e p a r t m e n t ’s c o r e d u t i e s :

customs c learance and ant i -

s m u g g l i n g , d r u g d e t e c t i o n ,

i n t e l l e c t u a l p ro p e r t y r i g h t s

p r o t e c t i o n a n d c o n s u m e r

protect ion; and one thematic

section.

The “Border Security and Trade Facilitation” section at the Main Gallery.


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Moreover, the commemorative

book “1909-2009 Hong Kong

Customs – A Centenary History”,

which was published to celebrate

the 100th anniversary of Hong

Kong Customs in 2009, is also

placed in the gallery in electronic

format to facilitate visitors.

The Exhibition Gallery is open for

group visits from 9am to 6pm,

Monday to Friday, except public

holidays. Schools and non-profit-

making organisations can apply

for a visit through the Customs

website at http://www.customs.

gov.hk/en/about_us/exhibition_

centres/hq_bldg/index.html.

The “Intellectual Property Rights Protection” section at the Main Gallery.

The “Consumer Protection” section at the Main Gallery.

Office of Training and Development

Details of the sections are as follows:

Section

Anti-narcotics Investigation

Revenue Protection and Collection

Intellectual Property Rights Protection

Border Security and Trade Facilitation

Consumer Protection

International Co-operation

Recruitment and Training

Contents

This section features photos of an opium divan in the 1960s, a heroin manufacturing centre in the 1980s, various drug concealment methods and significant cases.

As revenue collection was the original duty of the Department when it was formed a century ago, this section shows the transition from the sole dutiable commodity, liquor, to currently four types of dutiable commodities. Also on display are various tools used for revenue protection and collection as well as relevant enforcement actions at different eras.

Seizures of counterfeit products and infringing goods, and the Department’s efforts in promoting intellectual property rights protection at different stages are exhibited.

This section highlights the Department’s challenges in the 21st century, including the challenge of striking the balance between border security service and trade facilitation.

This section shows the various enforcement actions taken by the Department on protecting the benefits of consumers to maintain the good reputation of Hong Kong as a “shopping paradise for genuine goods”.

This section portrays the Department’s co-operation with overseas law enforcement agencies and international organisations to enhance enforcement effectiveness against transnational crimes.

This is the thematic section giving details on the training, professionalisation development and recruitment of the Department in order to make the officers well-equipped to meet the upcoming challenges.


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HK CUSTOMS ATTENDS APEC MEETINGS IN THE UNITED STATES

MAINLAND AND HK CUSTOMS ANNUAL REVIEW MEETING

The Assistant Commissioner (Excise and Strategic Support), Mr Fong Tai-wai, with two officers of Hong Kong Customs attended the 2011 1st APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP1) Meeting in Washington DC, the United States from March 3 to 5, 2011.

At the meeting, the Hong Kong Customs delegation exchanged views with delegates of other APEC Customs administrations on major international Customs issues, including the Supply-chain Connectivity Framework, the implementat ion of S ing le Window Systems and Authorised E c o n o m i c O p e r a t o r ( A E O ) Programme, as well as Customs Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) enforcement at the border.

T h e A s s i s t a n t S t a f f O f f i c e r (Strategic Research), Mr Wong Jug - t ung , p resen ted a t t he

T h e a n n u a l r e v i e w m e e t i n g b e t w e e n t h e G e n e r a l Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GAC) and the Hong Kong Customs was held in Hong Kong from February 20 to 23, 2011. Its opening was off iciated by the Vice Minister of GAC and Director General of Guangdong Sub-Administration o f GAC, Mr Lu B in , and the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen.

The meeting reviewed the co-o p e r a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e t w o admin is t ra t ions in 2010 and discussed the enhancement of intel l igence exchange on anti-smuggling, trade facilitation, as well as the latest development of customs clearance co-operation between the two administrations.

meet ing the Hong Kong AEO Pilot Programme and the effort of Hong Kong in taking forward the AEO initiative, which aimed at facilitating Customs authorities in safeguarding cargo security while ensuring a seamless cargo flow.

In addition, Hong Kong Customs accepted the Japan Customs’ invitation to jointly develop the APEC Guidel ines for Customs Border Enforcement on IPRs I n f r i n g e m e n t . B o t h C u s t o m s a d m i n i s t r a t i o n s agreed to work out a draft for endorsement a t t h e S C C P 2 Meeting to be held in San Francisco in September 2011.

On March 2, Mr Fong and Senior Inspector, M s Yu S a u - m e e ,

The two Customs administrations a l s o m a p p e d o u t a c o -operation plan for 2011, which covered the enhancement of visits of senior officials of both administrations, augmentation of customs clearance efficiency, re in forcement o f in te l l igence exchange and enforcement co-operat ion, and strengthening of co-operat ion in e lectron ic customs clearance. The meeting also agreed on the enhancement of co-operation on the control measures ove r the Ru les o f Origin under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, the implementation and refinement of the regulatory mechanism for the cargo transshipped through Hong Kong between the Mainland and Taiwan under the Economic Co-

attended the Joint Meeting of the APEC Business Mobility Group and the SCCP. They shared views with officials of the World Customs Organization and other Customs and Immigration authorit ies of APEC member economies on the best pract ices and ways fo r enhanc ing agenc ies ’ co-ordination at the border.

Office of Customs Affairs and Co-operation

The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen (left), presents a souvenir to the Vice Minister of GAC and Director General of Guangdong Sub-Administration of GAC, Mr Lu Bin.

operation Framework Agreement, the explorat ion of fac i l i tat ion measures to fur ther promote Hong Kong as a wine trading centre, and the arrangement for seminars, training and visits.


The Assistant Commissioner (Excise and Strategic Support), Mr Fong Tai-wai (fourth left, first row), the Assistant Superintendent, Mr Wong Jug-tung (sixth left, second row), and Senior Inspector, Ms Yu Sau-mee (fifth left, second row), with other delegates of the 2011 1st APEC Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures Meeting.


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HK CUSTOMS VISITS INSPECTION EQUIPMENT EXHIBITION IN UK

E f f e c t i v e u s e o f a d v a n c e d equipment on customs clearance work becomes indispensable for today’s Customs serv ice. As the Hong Kong Customs is committed to deploying inspection equipment to maintain the safety and security of the international supply chain and enhance the efficient movement of goods, the Department plays an active role in

exploring the latest technology to enhance its operation.

From March 22 to 24, 2011, the Ass is tan t Commiss ioner (Boundary and Ports ) , Mr Yu Koon-h ing , l ed a de legat ion compris ing off icers of Airport Command and Office of Project Planning and Development to visit an exhibition organised by Scientific Development Branch o f t h e H o m e O f f i c e i n t h e United Kingdom. The exhibition s h o w c a s e d w o r l d l e a d i n g technologies and solutions for law enforcement and public security app l i ca t i ons , such as X - ray inspect ion systems, radiat ion detection equipment, scanners for narcot ics and explosives, and thermal imaging surveillance products. The delegation also

took the opportunity to exchange v i e w s w i t h U K Tr a d e a n d Investment, the co-ordinator of the exhibition, on the application of advanced technology in daily enforcement operation to help enhance detection capabilities.

During its stay in the UK, the delegation paid a visit to Coventry International Hub of the United Kingdom and discussed with officers of UK Border Agency on the prevail ing smuggling trend and challenges. They also shared exper iences on enforcement strategies and how effective use of inspection equipment would be conducive to tackling cross-territory smuggling activities.

Office of Project Planning and Development

The Assistant Commissioner (Boundary and Ports), Mr Yu Koon-hing (centre), and Head of Airport Command, Mr Liu Cheung-shing (left), study a thermal imaging surveillance product.

COMMISSIONER ATTENDS 117TH/118TH WCO COUNCIL SESSIONS

H e a d e d b y C o m m i s s i o n e r o f Cus toms and Exc i se , Mr Richard Yuen, the Hong Kong Customs delegat ion attended the 117th/118th Sessions of the Customs Co-operation Council (Council Sessions) at the World Customs Organizat ion (WCO) Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium from June 23 to 25, 2011.

This year, the Council focused on key topical issues impacting the global trading system, i.e. illicit and dangerous trade, global supply chain security, air cargo security, trade facil itation, and recognised the critical supportive role played by capacity building,

informat ion-shar ing, research and knowledge promot ion in addressing these topical issues.

In June 2009, the Council resolved to make an interim arrangement for offering one additional WCO Pol icy Commission (PC) seat for each of the six WCO regions commencing July 2010 on a two-year trial basis. While Australia had taken up this additional seat for the Asia Pacific (A/P) Region for the first year (2010/2011), Hong Kong China was earlier nominated by the A/P Region to take the seat for 2011/2012. The A/P Region’s nomination was endorsed at the Council Sessions this year.

In taking up the PC seat, the Department is prepared to play an even more active role in the WCO

activities.


The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen (r ight) , and Assistant Commissioner (Excise and Strategic Support), Mr Fong Tai-wai, at the 117th/118th WCO Council Sessions.


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HK CUSTOMS STRENGTHENS CO-OPERATION WITH US CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION

The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen, and the Chairman of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (US CPSC), Ms Inez Moore Tenenbaum, s igned a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning product safety in Hong Kong on January 11, 2011. Both administrations were commit ted to enhanc ing co-operation in providing consumers with greater protection against unsafe products.

With the signing of the MOU, Hong Kong Customs and US CPSC wi l l exchange product safety information on emerging i s s u e s i n v o l v i n g s i g n i f i c a n t pub l i c hea l t h and sa f e t y t o prevent the supply of unsafe p r o d u c t s . C r o s s - e x p o s u r e training programmes for officials of both sides wil l be arranged

to fos te r c lose r pa r tne rsh ip and communication. They wil l also co-operate at multi lateral leve l through part ic ipat ion in international forums or seminars to keep abreast of the latest developments in safety standards and requirements in overseas markets.

To start off the implementation of the MOU, the US CPSC organised a semina r fo r 42 o f f i ce rs o f Consumer Protection Bureau (1) of the Hong Kong Customs on June 24, 2011 in Hong Kong. The seminar covered an overview of the consumer protection work of CPSC, including compliance operations, fast track product recall programme, surveil lance system, investigative measures and the latest campaign against the supply of children’s garments with drawstrings in the US market.

The Director of Field Operations, Office of Compliance of CPSC, Mr Dennis Blasius, was present at the seminar to share his experiences in the US with the participating officers.

Consumer Protection Bureau (1)

HK CUSTOMS AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF QUALITY SUPERVISION, INSPECTION AND QUARANTINE TO STRENGTHEN CO-OPERATION

The Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen (right), and the Chairman of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Ms Inez Moore Tenenbaum, exchange a Memorandum of Understanding concerning consumer product safety at a ceremony.

I n o rd e r t o s t r e n g t h e n c o -o p e r a t i o n o n c o n s u m e r protection between the Mainland and Hong Kong, the Genera l D i r e c t o r o f D e p a r t m e n t o f

S u p e r v i s i o n o n I n s p e c t i o n , the General Administrat ion of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ), Mr Wang Xin, led a four-member de lega t ion to meet w i th the C o m m e r c e a n d E c o n o m i c Deve lopmen t Bu reau , Hong Kong Customs and other related government departments in Hong Kong on April 19, 2011.

During the meeting, both sides gave an overview of their own organ isa t iona l s t ructure and responsibilities before the AQSIQ shared its experience in ensuring the sa fe t y o f impor t i ng and

exporting commodities.

The AQSIQ also agreed to enhance co-operation with Hong Kong Customs in the areas of developing an intelligence and information exchange system concerning investigations into notifications relating to food contact materials exporting to the European Union re f e r red f rom the Eu ropean Commission, and by signing a Memorandum of Understanding of “Consumer Products Safety Co-operation Arrangement” between the two administrations.

Consumer Protection Bureau (1)

The Deputy Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs, Mr Luke Au Yeung (left), presents a souven i r to the Genera l D i rector o f Department of Supervision on Inspection, AQSIQ, Mr Wang Xin.


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HK CUSTOMS CONDUCTS RADIATION SCANNING ON JAPAN CARGO

In response to public concern

a b o u t t h e s a f e t y o f g o o d s

imported from Japan following

the leak of radioactive material

at the Fukushima nuclear plant

damaged in the catastrophic

earthquake and tsunami attack

in Japan on March 11, 2011, the

Customs and Excise Department,

as a frontline law enforcement

agency, took measures to step

up rad iat ion scann ing on a i r

and sea cargo from Japan to

prevent the entry of radioactive-

con tam ina ted p roduc ts i n to

Hong Kong. Work ing c lose ly

w i t h o t h e r g o v e r n m e n t

departments, including the Food

and Env i ronmen ta l Hyg i ene

Department and the Department

o f H e a l t h , t h e D e p a r t m e n t

paid special attent ion to high

r isk products inc luding food,

p h a r m a c e u t i c a l

products, cosmetics

and personal hygiene

products. So far, al l

scanned cargo from

J a p a n w a s f o u n d

w i t h o u t r a d i a t i o n

contamination.

T h e h e a l t h a n d

occupat ional safety

of officers engaged in

the task is also the Department’s

c o n c e r n . T h e o f f i c e r s h a v e

been provided with necessary

equipment and training to make

maximum protection for them

and to equip them to cope with

the incident, including protective

gears, masks and training on

radiation scanning procedures.

The Department has also made

flexible deployment of officers to

support this special operation.

T h e i n c i d e n t h i g h l i g h t s t h e

diversity of the work of a modern

C u s t o m s s e r v i c e a n d t h e

important role it plays in protecting

the safety and security of society.

Airport Command and Ports and Maritime Command

Customs officers of Airport Command conduct radioactive surface scanning on the air cargo imported from Japan.

HK CUSTOMS FOSTERS CLOSER CO-OPERATION WITH KOREA CUSTOMS SERVICE

The Commiss ione r o f Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen, signed an agreed minutes for closer co-opera t ion w i th the Commissioner of Korea Customs Service (KCS), Mr Yoon Young-sun, at the 29th Customs Co-opera t ion Con fe rence b e t w e e n t h e t w o administrations in Hong

Kong on June 10, 2011.

Both Customs administrations agreed to cont inue w i th the prompt exchange of intelligence to combat transnational customs o f f e n c e s , i n c l u d i n g d r u g trafficking, cigarette smuggling and intellectual property rights in f r i ngements , as we l l as to enhance co-operation on financial investigation issues.


The Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen (left), and the Commissioner of Korea Customs Service, Mr Yoon Young-sun, exchange agreed minutes.


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RESTRUCTURING OF CUSTOMS LIAISON BUREAU TO OFFICE OF CUSTOMS AFFAIRS AND CO-OPERATION

The Customs L ia ison Bureau (CLB), after a thorough review of its structure and establishment for more than one year, was restructured and renamed as Office of Customs Affairs and Co-operation (OCAC) in March 2011.

The OCAC compr i ses t h ree divisions. They are International Customs Organisations Division,

I n t e r n a t i o n a l C u s t o m s C o -operation Division, and Mainland Customs Co-operation Division.

T h e r e s t r u c t u r i n g i s a i m e d a t conso l ida t ing OCAC as a “Consultat ion Window” of the D e p a r t m e n t a n d e n h a n c i n g OCAC’s capability in performing t h e f o l l o w i n g d e p a r t m e n t a l functions:

(i) dealing with co-operation matters with the Mainland Customs and overseas Customs counterparts;

(ii) handling Customs-related matters arising from various international fora (e.g. WCO, APEC, WTO, etc.) and addressing issues raised in consultation exercises conducted by international institutions;

(iii) responding to Policy Bureaux on matters l ike Free Trade A g re e m e n t n e g o t i a t i o n s ; and Hong Kong’s possib le access ion to In ternat iona l Conventions; and

(iv) planning and organising major departmental events.



Senior Staff Officer (Customs Affairs and Co-operation)

Staff Officer (Customs Affairs and Co-operation)

International Customs Organizations Division

WCOUnit

APECUnit

ConventionUnit

Attaché toWCO

RegionalIntelligence

Liaison Officefor Asia &the Pacific

InternationalCustoms

Co-operationUnit

InternationalCustomsLiaison

Unit

MainlandCustoms

Co-operationUnit 1

MainlandCustoms

Co-operationUnit 2

AdministrationSupport

Unit

International Customs Co-operation Division

Mainland Customs Co-operation Division

News in Snapshot - Visit

ISRAEL TAX AUTHORITY OFFICIALS VISIT HK CUSTOMS

The Sen io r Depu ty D i rec to r General of Israel Tax Authority ( ITA) cum Director General of Invest igat ion and Intel l igence Department of ITA, Mr Avi Ben Arditi, and two officers visited Hong Kong Customs on Apri l 13 and 14, 2011. They paid a courtesy call on the Commissioner o f Cus toms and Exc i se , Mr R ichard Yuen, and met w i th the Ass is tan t Commiss ioner (Intelligence and Investigation), Mr Tam Yiu-keung, to exchange

v i e w s o n i s s u e s of mutual concern a n d t o s h a r e e x p e r i e n c e o f investigation work. They a lso v is i ted t h e S h e n z h e n Bay Control Point and Kwa i Chung Cus tomhouse to see for themselves t h e o p e r a t i o n o f H o n g K o n g Customs.

Mr Arditi (fourth left), Mr Yuen (third right), and Mr Tam (third left) with the officers of both sides.


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GOVERNMENT COUNSELS VISIT HK CUSTOMS

NATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CENTRE OF GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF CUSTOMS VISITS HK CUSTOMS

A n e w s e c t i o n h e a d e d b y Ass i s tan t D i rec to r o f Pub l i c Prosecutions of the Department of Justice responsible for providing lega l adv ice fo r a l l Customs cases was established in March 2011. To facilitate counsels of this designated section to have a thorough understanding of the Hong Kong Customs’ work, the Department invited the Assistant

A de legat ion o f the Nat iona l Education and Training Centre of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic o f Ch ina v i s i t ed Hong Kong Customs on March 15 and 16, 2011, and met with the Assistant Commissioner (Administration and Human Resource Development), Ms Kwok Ngan-p ing , a t the Customs Headquarters Building.

Director, Mr Hayson Tse, and two senior prosecutors for a familiarisation visit on various aspects of Customs w o r k a t t h e C u s t o m s Headquarters Building on March 28, 2011, especially the work of the Serv ice Prosecut ion Group and its co-ordination with the counsels.

Bo th s ides i n t roduced the i r t ra in ing po l ic ies , exchanged views on training issues, and agreed in principle on exploring opportunities to strengthen future co-operation on training. After the meeting, the delegation visited the Customs and Excise Training School to see for themselves the learning environment and training facilities of the Department.

Accompanied by Staff Officer (Service Prosecution), Ms Susan Lam (third right), Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Hayson Tse (third left), Senior Public Prosecutors, Mr Beney Wong (first left) and Ms Irene Poon (first right) visit the Exhibition Gallery.

Ms Kwok (third right, front row), introduces the facilities of Customs and Excise Training School to the delegation.

RFC VISITS MAINLAND CUSTOMS

In order to provide

Customs off icers a

better understanding

of the operation of the

Ma in land Customs

and establish a closer

working relationship

w i t h t he Ma in l and

counterparts, the Rail

and Ferry Command

(RFC) arranged two study tours

for officers to visit the Mainland

Customs at Jiuzhou Port Ferry

Terminal on February 24, 2011,

and a t Guangzhou East and

Dongguan Railway Stations from

February 28 to March 1, 2011

respectively, to see for themselves

the customs clearance operation.

RFC officers visit Guangzhou East Railway Station.


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STUDY VISIT TO KOREA CUSTOMS SERVICE

TRAVEL INDUSTRY COUNCIL VISITS HK CUSTOMS

To better understand the latest development of the Authorised E c o n o m i c O p e r a t i o n ( A E O ) Programme, Single Window (SW) system and Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in the Republic of Korea (ROK), a four-member delegation of the Department, led by Senior Staff Officer of the Office of Strategic Research, Mr Lin Shun-yin, and an officer from the Office of the Government Chief Officer, visited the Korea Customs Service (KCS)

in Daejeon, South Korea f rom Ap r i l 12 to 14 , 2011.

The delegat ion had a fruitful exchange with the KCS on its experience on the implementation of the AEO Programme and established formal contact w i th i ts AEO office for future dialogue. The visit also helped the officers in their

planning of the way forward of these initiatives in Hong Kong.

A delegation of Travel Industry Council (TIC) paid a visit to Hong K o n g C u s t o m s o n M a y 3 1 , 2011 to discuss the consumer protection for tourists shopping in Hong Kong. The delegates were briefed by Customs’ Consumer Protection Bureau and Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau

on the latest enforcement work. The Department and the Council agreed to strengthen mutual co-operation on the exchange of intelligence. After the meeting, the delegation toured the Exhibition Gallery, the Auditorium as well as the Indoor Firing Range in the Customs Headquarters Building.

Director General of Information and International Affairs Bureau, KCS, Mr Chung Il-Sok (third right), and members of the delegation.

The delegation is briefed on HK Customs’ history at the Exhibition Gallery.

2010 CEPA TRADE-IN GOODS ANNUAL REVIEW MEETING CUM THE 1ST HALF OF 2011 CEPA RULES OF ORIGIN CONSULTATION MEETING

The Head of Trade Controls of Hong Kong Customs, Mr Cheung Sai-yan, on April 12, 2011 led a de lega t ion to a t tend “The 2010 Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) Trade-in-Goods Annual Review Meeting” with the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GAC) in Hangzhou, Zhej iang. The delegat ion met with the Deputy Secretary of

The delegation from Trade Controls Branch attends the meeting in Hangzhou.


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GAC, Mr Kang Qiang and his co l leagues in GAC to rev iew the contro l ar rangement and the enforcement measures for CEPA Trade-in-Goods in 2010. The meet ing also set out the CEPA implementat ion targets for 2011, including maintaining t he p ragma t i c p rac t i ces on CEPA regulatory mechanism,

strengthening the enforcement co-operation between the two parties, continuing the training and visit ing programmes, and the post-shipment verification on goods enjoying CEPA zero import tariff.

On the same day, Mr Cheung representing the HK Customs,

attended the first half of 2011 CEPA Rules of Origin Consultation meet ing jo in t ly organ ised by Hong Kong Trade and Industry D e p a r t m e n t a n d G A C . T h e meeting reached a consensus in principle on the Origin Rules of Products involving nine items of Mainland Tariff Codes.

News in Snapshot - Seminar/Conference

THE 2ND SESSION OF CAPACITY BUILDING COMMITTEE AND THE 10TH SESSION OF INTEGRITY SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE WORLD CUSTOMS ORGANIZATION

ADVANCE PREPARATORY WORK MEETING FOR CO-OPERATION ON CUSTOMS CLEARANCE AT THE HONG KONG-ZHUHAI-MACAO BRIDGE

Senior Staff Officer (Training and Development), Mr Chan Wing-kin, and Senior Inspector, Mr Wo n g Yu k - c h u e n , a t t e n d e d the 2nd Sess ion of Capaci ty Building Committee (CBC) and the 10th Session of Integrity Sub-Committee ( ISC) of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels, Belgium from May 3 to 6, 2011.

The CBC meeting focused on the WCO’s “3P-Framework” for Capacity Building supported by

the three pillars - “Political Will”, “People” and “Partnership”. It also discussed the “Regionalisation” approach and the ro l l -out o f “Columbus Programme Phase 3”. The meeting also discussed the continuous use of the WCO strategy document “Customs in the 21st Century”, which included Capacity Building as one of the ten building blocks, as a roadmap for Customs.

D u r i n g t h e I S C m e e t i n g , t h e d e l e g a t e s s h a re d t h e i r

To we l l p repa re f o r e f f i c i e n t c u s t o m s clearance at the Hong Kong-Zhuha i -Macao Bridge which is under c o n s t r u c t i o n , t h e Hong Kong Customs and Macao Customs held the first advance p r e p a r a t o r y w o r k

e x p e r i e n c e s o n a n u m b e r o f in tegr i ty issues, inc lud ing revision of WCO integrity tools, pa r tne rsh ip w i th the p r i va te sector in integrity building, and implementation of integrity pilot projects.

meeting in Hong Kong on May 25 , 2011 to d i scuss i s sues relating to the co-operation on Customs clearance. The bridge, a key infrastructure project jointly commissioned by Guangdong, H o n g K o n g a n d M a c a o , i s expected to be completed around 2016. After the commissioning of the bridge, cargo transport by

Mr Chan (left) and Mr Wong at the meeting.

Assistant Commissioner (Boundary and Ports), Mr Yu Koon-hing (second left,front row), Assistant Director-General of Macao Customs, Mr Sin Wun-kao (second right, front row), and representatives of both sides.


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land route between Hong Kong and Macao will be rolled out for the first time, providing a new co-operation platform for both Customs administrations.

During the meeting, both parties agreed to further enhance mutual co-operation and to explore the

feasibility of implementing trade facilitation measures conducive to the development of logistics industry in both places. Both sides also agreed to strengthen information connectivity by using fibre-optic network, and reached a preliminary consensus to conduct a study on the development of

cross-referencing of inspection r e s u l t s f o r t h e C u s t o m s administrations of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao with a v iew to enhancing c learance efficiency and fostering tripartite co-operation.

News in Snapshot - Seminar/Conference/Training

CUSTOMS PASSING-OUT PARADE

CUSTOMS PARTICIPATION IN TWO WCO ASIA PACIFIC REGIONAL WORKSHOPS

A passing-out parade was held at the Customs and Excise Training

The World Customs Organization (WCO) As ia Pac i f ic Reg iona l Workshop to Spec ia l i se the Specialists on Intellectual Property Rights was held at the Customs and Excise Training School from May 23 to 27, 2011. Twenty-four representatives of 22 WCO member administrations took part in the workshop. Three facilitators from the WCO, Belgium Customs and WCO Asia Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building were also present to co-ordinate the workshop and lead the discussion sessions.

School on June 10, 2011 with 21 Probationary Inspectors and

8 5 C u s t o m s O f f i c e r s being inspected by the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Disciplined Serv ices Sa lar ies and Conditions of Service, Mr Cheung Chun-yuen. Over 500 guests from various government departments, p r i v a t e s e c t o r s a n d relatives of the graduates

The five-day workshop provided a good opportunity for participants to update themselves on WCO’s capacity building activities and technical tools on intellectual property rights (IPRs), and to enhance their k n o w l e d g e and expertise in combat ing counterfeit ing a n d p i r a c y activities.

attended the ceremony.

Addressing at the parade, Mr Cheung p ra i sed Hong Kong Customs for playing an important role in maintaining the safety and security of the territory and in trade facilitation. He encouraged the graduates to uphold justice and integrity when performing duties and to adopt a life-long learning attitude to meet the ever-changing environment.

Divisional Commander (Intellectual Property Investigation Support), Mr Vincent Lai, at the workshop shared wi th the par t ic ipants

Mr Cheung inspects the Probationary Inspectors and Customs Officers.

The representatives at the Asia Pacific Regional Workshop to Specialise the Specialists on Intellectual Property Rights.


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information on Hong Kong’s legal framework and the approach to combat counterfeiting and piracy. Rights holders from five different industries were invited to talk about the special features of their products and how to differentiate genuine and counterfeit goods. H o n g K o n g C u s t o m s a l s o arranged for the participants to visit Customs Tsing Yi Station where they were briefed on sea cargo inspect ion procedures and how cargoes were selected for inspection for detecting IPRs infringement.

Meanwhile, the WCO Asia Pacific Regional Workshop o n Tr a i n i n g a n d H u m a n R e s o u r c e M a n a g e m e n t w a s h e l d i n B a n g k o k , Thailand from March 28 to Apr i l 1 , 2011. The focus of the workshop was the importance of training and human resource management f o r c u s t o m s m o d e r n i s a t i o n and to provide regional good practices on these two areas to participatants.

Super intendent (Tra in ing and Development), Mr Lee Hon-wah,

and Assistant Superintendent (Service Personnel), Mr Chui Ka-leung, attended the workshop and Mr Lee also gave a presentation on structured training and the various training methodologies adopted by Hong Kong Customs.

News in Snapshot - Training

NO. 6 CUSTOMS MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT COURSE

TRAINING COURSE ON SERVICE EXCELLENCE FOR IPIB OFFICERS

To further enhance the leadership and management competency of the divisional commanders in the Department, the Office of Training and Development organised the

To enhance the overall efficiency

of o ff icers of the Inte l lectua l

Property Investigation Bureau

(IPIB) in providing quality services

to the public and to formulate

“No. 6 Customs Management Deve lopment Course” for 13 Assistant Superintendents and three Chief Trade Control Officers of various formations from May 11

to June 3, 2011.

The 18-day programme i n c l u d e d a t w o - d a y residential outward training, and a three-day training in Guangdong arranged by the Guangdong Customs to deepen part ic ipants’ u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e

a long-term customer service

strategy, IPIB has co-operated

with the Civil Service Training and

Development Institute to tailor-

make a f i ve-sess ion t ra in ing

r e c e n t d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e M a i n l a n d C u s t o m s a n d t h e Mainland’s 12th Five-Year Plan f o r N a t i o n a l E c o n o m i c a n d Social Development. There were a lso shar ing sess ions by the directorate and other prominent scholars.

Participants had become more aware of their responsibil ity of enhancing quality service of the Department after attending the course.

The officers attend a three-day training in Guangdong.

course in February and March,

2011. Some 80 officers from the

bureau, including officers from

the rank of Customs Off icers

to Ass is tan t Super in tendent

Mr Lee (left) and Mr Chui at the workshop on Training and Human Resource Management.


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and clerical off icers, attended

t h e c o u r s e . T h e c o u r s e

focused on strengthening their

communication ski l ls with the

i ndus t r y, r i gh ts ho lde rs and

informants in var ious means,

and on how to handle cl ients

who were dissatisfied with the

investigation progress or results.

The participants found the training

sessions useful and practical to

their work.

News in Snapshot - Training

STAFF MOTIVATION SCHEME - IPIB BEST TEAM SPIRIT AWARDS

SEMINAR ON MANAGEMENT OF THE CUSTODY CENTRE

The Staff Motivat ion Scheme, launched by the Civ i l Service Bureau, is aimed at promoting s t a f f a w a r e n e s s o f t h e commitment to the department’s p e r f o r m a n c e p l e d g e s a n d m o t i v a t i n g s t a f f t o w a r d s con t i nuous imp rovemen t o f service to serve the community.

Under the scheme, the Intellectual Property Investigation Bureau ( I P I B ) g o t t h e f u n d i n g t o

To help frontline investigators to familiarise with the operation mode and relevant contingency tactics for handling emergencies at the

organise the “Best Team Spirit C o m p e t i t i o n ” i n 2 0 1 1 . T h e competing teams were assessed by the adjudication panel based on the i r “co-opera t i veness” , “productivity and performance”, “level of difficulty”, “effectiveness in deployment of resources”, “d ist r ibut ion of responsib i l i ty and mutual support”, as well as “demonstration of professional image to serve the community”.

The champion was the Raiding and Follow-up Team 2 of Copyright Investigation Division whose en forcement a c t i o n a g a i n s t a piracy syndicate had demonstrated a high l e ve l o f t eam wo rk and eff ic iency. The first runner-up was the Of f i ce Management

Custody Officer’s Office on the 9/F of the Customs Headquarters Building (CHB), the Intelligence Bureau organised a seminar on

and Support Unit. Its excellent planning and dedicated spir i t h a d h e l p e d t h e b u r e a u t o complete the off ice relocation exercise efficiently. The second runner-up was the Surveillance Team o f Trade Desc r ip t i ons Investigation Division with the officers displaying a high level of co-operation and organisational ability in a surveillance operation.

The Ass is tant Commiss ioner (Intelligence and Investigation), Mr Tam Yiu-keung, who was also the chairman of the adjudication panel , presented the awards to the w inn ing teams a t the presentat ion ceremony of the competition on April 1, 2011. Mr Tam extended his congratulations t o t h e w i n n i n g t e a m s a n d encouraged them to keep on their team spirits to further boost enforcement effectiveness.

the “Management of the Custody Centre in the CHB” on March 29, 2011.

Mr Tam and the champion of the competition, Raiding and Follow-up Team 2 of Copyright Investigation Division.

The training report for IPIB's Training Course on Service Excellence.


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News in Snapshot - Training/Community Participation

The bureau inv i ted the Chief I n s p e c t o r o f t h e C u s t o d y Management and Detention of the Support Wing of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), Mr L i Ka i -ming, and h is deputy, Mr Ko Cheuk-hang, as guest s p e a k e r s t o i n t r o d u c e t h e latest development of custody management in the HKPF and o ther overseas en fo rcement agencies. During the seminar, they Branch attended the seminar and

found it useful and practical.

also reminded law enforcers to pay attention to human rights and privacy protection issues w h e n s o m e o n e was remanded in custody.

A t o t a l o f 1 3 2 o f f i c e r s f r o m d i f f e r e n t f o r m a t i o n s o f t h e Intel l igence and Invest igat ion

Customs officers at the seminar.

EDUCATION AND CAREERS EXPO 2011

TOBACCO INDUSTRY’S INFORMER REWARD SCHEME RENEWED

Hong Kong Customs participated in the Education and Careers Expo 2011 from February 17 to 20, 2011.

A booth on Customs’ works and recruitment information was set up by the Office of Training and Development, the Office of Service Administration and the Trade Controls Branch at the Expo. Customs detector dogs also gave demonstrations on drug

A s s i s t a n t C o m m i s s i o n e r (Intelligence and Investigation), Mr Tam Yiu-keung, signed an agreement with representatives o f t h e t o b a c c o i n d u s t r y o n February 16, 2011 to renew the “Tobacco Industry’s In former Reward Scheme” for another year effective from January 1, 2011. Taking part in the reward scheme are the British-American Tobacco Co. (Hong Kong) Ltd.,

detection at the booth.

The Education and Careers Expo 2011, organised by Hong Kong Trade Deve lopment Counc i l , a t t racted thousands of loca l students, job seekers, working individuals and professionals.

the Japan Tobacco (Hong Kong) Ltd. and the Philip Morr is Asia Ltd. I t was the 19th agreement since the scheme was launched i n 1994 to encou rage t h e p u b l i c t o p ro v i d e i n f o r m a t i o n o n i l l i c i t cigarette activities.

The Customs booth is well-received by visitors at the Expo.

Mr Tam (second left), signs an agreement to renew the scheme with representatives of the tobacco industry.


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ROCARS WINS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AWARD

T h e R o a d C a r g o S y s t e m

( R O C A R S ) w o n t h e B e s t

P u b l i c S e r v i c e A p p l i c a t i o n

(Transformation) Silver Award of

the Hong Kong Information and

Communication Technology (ICT)

Awards 2011.

The judging panel commented

that ROCARS had made good

use of advanced in format ion

technologies to facil itate local

logistics industry to transform

from a traditional clearance mode

to a new seamless approach. It

significantly saves the clearance

time for cross-border cargoes and

injects huge added value to Hong

Kong business. The panel also

praised the Department's effort

in assisting the industry to adapt

to the change, leading to the

success of the initiative.

The p resen ta t i on ce remony

w a s h e l d o n

Apr i l 15 , 2011.

T h e F i n a n c i a l

S e c r e t a r y , M r

John C Tsang, the

Acting Secretary

f o r C o m m e r c e

a n d E c o n o m i c

Development, Mr

Gregory So, and

t h e P e r m a n e n t

S e c r e t a r y f o r

C o m m e r c e a n d E c o n o m i c

Development (Communications

and Technology), Ms Elizabeth

Tse, officiated at the ceremony.

Head of Land Boundary Command, Mr Ben Leung (third right, second row), Senior Staff Officer (Special Duties), Mr Leung Shung-chi (fourth right, second row), and Staff Officer (Special Duties), Mr Steve Chan (third left, second row) with the officiating guests at presentation ceremony.

News in Snapshot - Awards

員工動向

訃聞高級關員李赤雄於2011年4月13日逝世，海鋒編輯仝人深表哀悼。

AC(ES) 方大維 Mr Fong Tai-wai

SS(CAC) 梁佩婉 Ms Leung Pui-yuen

SS(OSR) 連順賢 Mr Lin Shun-yin

SS(SA) 何生利 Mr Ho Sang-lee

SS(TD) 陳永建 Mr Chan Wing-kin

PIO 易偉京 Ms Yik Wai-king

編輯委員會成員 Editorial board members

(As at July 2011)

助理物料供應員張瑞芳

汽車司機區廣發馬卓權陳榮輝卓漢球蔡偉豪

文書主任侯瑞芬

助理文書主任陶偉達

文書助理曾頌謙李月珊梁惠明

(接上頁)

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