***************************

    Following is the transcript of the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, speaking to the media after officiating at the launch ceremony of the Anti-Spam Roving Exhibition today (August 12):

Reporter:  You said earlier that an Internet blacklist may be set up to block junk email and a new law will be drafted to control the problem.  So how is it going now?

SCIT: The progress has been going quite well.  We have, as you know, earlier in February this year, started the "STEPS" measures and we have been implementing it and a lot of them are going really quite well.  For example, in terms of fax control, we have stepped up our control against fax spam.  Instead of doing three before we stop them, now we will stop them if we get two substantiated complaints.  But I think the most important of all the "STEPS" function is the legislation and we are working very hard on that.  Hopefully by the end of this year, we would be able to come up with a draft legislation for further consultation with the public.  Hopefully the Legislative Council would enact it next year so that we can put it into force as quickly as possible.

Reporter:  What will be the penalty or fine?

SCIT: You have to wait and take a look at that.  Thank you very much.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

Ends/Friday, August 12, 2005

NNNN