A good year: Commissioner of Customs & Excise Timothy Tong presents his 2006 year-end review.

Commissioner of Customs & Excise Timothy Tong says the total amount of commodities duty collected last year rose 5.1% over a year earlier, to $6.96 billion. Duties collected from tobacco and alcohol rose 13.3% and 7.5%.

Reviewing the department's work last year, Mr Tong said today that 53,286 cases were cracked, leading to the arrest of 14,952 people.

While the quantity of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and cannabis buds seized recorded a year-on-year rise, the quantity of ketamine and "ice" fell.

Fewer blackspots

As a result of stringent Customs enforcement action, there was a drop in the number of illicit-activity blackspots.

The number of pirated optical disc shops fell from 70 in 2004 to about 40 to 50 at present. The number of blackspots of counterfeit goods also dropped from 25 in mid-2005 to about 15 now.

Illicit cigarettes and illicit fuel activities have been put under firm control. The number of blackspots for selling illicit cigarettes has fallen from 16 in 2005 to about 10 now, while blackspots for illicit fuel fell from 23 to 21.

On passenger and cargo flow at check points, the department cleared about 23.2 million cargo containers, 15.2 million cross-boundary vehicles and 202 million passengers last year, reflecting increases of 2.8%, 2.1% and 5.6% over 2005.

Last year Customs also reached a consensus with the industry over the operational mode of the Electronic Advance Cargo Information Project. Implementation details will be worked out and the project will come into operation in 2009.

Significant year

Looking ahead, Mr Tong said 2007 will be a year of significance to Customs, with the first-ever application of co-location arrangement at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor in the middle of the year, and the hosting in Hong Kong of a Pan-PRD Customs Trade Facilitation Forum and a Joint Meeting of the Customs Directors of the Pan-PRD Region.

Customs is actively involved in the preparation for the construction of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor boundary-crossing facilities. To support the new check point's operation, 561 staff will be recruited, including 47 inspectors, 502 Customs officers and 12 assistant trade control officers.

Mr Tong said the Hong Kong and Shenzhen customs authorities had been working closely for the launch of the new clearance mode at the Shenzhen Bay Port. A Shenzhen Bay Port Customs Matters Co-ordination Centre will be set up to minimise redundant cargo examination and to exchange clearance-related data. A Shenzhen Bay Port Anti-smuggling Joint Command Centre will also be put in place for intelligence exchange to cope with anti-smuggling activities. 

On the Pan-PRD Customs Trade Facilitation Forum and Joint Meeting of the Customs Directors of the Pan-PRD Region, Mr Tong said the event will be staged in Hong Kong on May 10 to enhance co-operation among the various customs services.

Strong support of the Customs General Administration and Guangdong Sub-administration has been secured for the event. Customs General Administration Minister Mu Xinsheng will lead the customs chiefs of the Administration and Guangdong Sub-administration as well as the 16 customs heads of the nine provinces in the Pan-PRD Region to attend the forum. The Director-General of the Macau Customs Service will also join.

Mr Tong hopes the forum will provide a platform to foster working relationships among the regional customs administrations, between the customs administrations and the business sector, and to achieve concrete measures in customs clearance and trade promotion.