Consumer Council

The Consumer Council is a statutory body which was established in 1974 to protect and promote the interests of consumers of goods and services and purchasers, mortgagors and lessees of immovable property. The council comprises 22 members appointed by the Government from a wide spectrum of the community.

The council's key activities include testing and survey programmes, complaint and advice services, consumer policy studies, publications and consumer education initiatives.

The council's testing and survey programmes seek to provide consumers with objective and up-to-date information so that they can make informed choices. During the year, 42 product tests, 16 survey projects and 42 in-depth studies were completed, which covered a wide range of product and service areas from condoms and facial masks to water filters and air purifiers to telecommunication and financial services. Popular electronic products such as digital cameras and mobile phones were also regularly tested. Products were tested mainly for safety, performance, convenience, durability and environmental impact.

The council provides complaint and advice services to the community through telephone hotlines, eight Consumer Advice Centres and the council's website. It acts as a mediator between consumers and the traders concerned. During the year, 36 614 consumer complaints and 163 313 consumer enquiries were received. Problems with telecommunications services continued to top the list of consumer complaints.

The council also monitors trade practices and competition-related issues which may affect consumers. In 2005, it issued a Good Corporate Citizen's Guide to promote industry self-regulation, enhance corporate quality and boost consumer confidence. It also made 11 submissions in response to government consultation papers on subjects affecting consumer interests, such as the future development of the electricity market, and examined a number of matters related to responsible trade practices such as the quality of service in the telecommunications industry. As a member of the Government's Competition Policy Advisory Group, the council's chief executive actively participates in reviewing government practices and complaint cases relating to competition.

To provide consumers with up-to-date market information, the council publishes the findings of its product tests and surveys together with practical advice and viewpoints to the public through its monthly magazine, CHOICE, which has a circulation of over 26 000. An online version of CHOICE is also available to provide easy access to pertinent information. In 2005, the council continued to organise the Consumer Rights Reporting Awards and the public vote on the Top Ten Consumer News Stories.

The sixth Consumer Culture Study Award organised during the year encouraged secondary school students to conduct their own studies of local consumer culture. In all, 564 teams, comprising 3 500 students from 114 secondary schools, participated in this programme.

In addition, by year-end, a total of 301 teachers had completed a web-based teacher's development course on consumer education, which was commissioned by the Education and Manpower Bureau and has been organised by the council since March 2004.

The council has continued to administer the Consumer Legal Action Fund, which enhances consumer access to legal remedies. In 2005, the fund considered nine cases and granted assistance in one case. Three cases carried over from previous years were successful in their claims.

The council is an executive and council member of Consumers International, a federation of 250 consumer organisations in 115 countries and territories. The council's chief executive is a former president of the federation. The council also maintains regular contact with counterparts overseas and on the Mainland, and exchanges information, handles consumer complaints by tourists and considers initiatives to pursue wider consumer interests.

Enforcement of Consumer Protection Legislation

The Customs and Excise Department carries out spot checks and investigations to ensure that toys, children's products and consumer goods supplied in Hong Kong are safe. It also has a responsibility to protect consumers from fraudulent traders who offer goods of deceptive weights and measures or products made of gold and platinum that have deceptive markings. In 2005, the department carried out 3 640 spot checks and 1 073 investigations.

The Government Laboratory provides support to the Customs and Excise Department in enforcing the consumer protection legislation. In 2005, the laboratory carried out 24 661 tests to determine whether or not various items including toys, children's products and consumer goods complied with safety standards. Weight determination of retail goods and on-site verification of traders' scales were carried out under the Weights and Measures Ordinance. More than 6 500 tests were also conducted to examine gold articles and other commodities under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.