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The following is issued on behalf of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee Secretariat:
The Business Facilitation Advisory Committee held its 16th meeting today (March 31).
The Administration briefed the committee on the progress of its preparatory work for the launching of the statutory minimum wage. The committee appreciates the Administration's efforts, and requests the Administration to closely monitor its implementation.
The committee also reviewed the work of the three business facilitation task forces. Some notable progress/developments are:
(a) The Retail Task Force has offered suggestions to the Administration when consulted about the proposed regulatory framework for pesticide residues in food in Hong Kong;
(b) The Administration has started preparatory work for legislation to implement the proposals to enhance protection for consumers against unfair trade practices;
(c) Mandatory registration of proprietary Chinese medicine commenced on December 3, 2010. The Administration will provide possible assistance to the trade to facilitate smooth implementation of the remaining provisions on label and package insert on December 1 this year;
(d) The Administration has agreed to accept nominations of the same person as the Hygiene Manager or Hygiene Supervisor for individual licences of those food premises which are under the same licensee and housed in the same supermarket or food court with effect from March 16 this year. This new measure can help reduce the business compliance cost;
(e) Public and trade consultation will be conducted on how the policy over upstairs bars should be tightened in order to strike a balance among the interests of different sectors of the community. The Food Business Task Force suggests that the Administration should consider conducting a Business Impact Assessment before the introduction of any tighter regulatory control;
(f) The Administration will review the licensing requirements of the Temporary Food Factory Licence to facilitate selling of certain food items at food and beverage exhibitions;
(g) The Administration issued on January 31 this year a package of new and revised practice notes for implementing the policy to foster a quality and sustainable built environment with effect from April 1 this year. The Pre-construction Task Force welcomes the provision of a clear definition of underground car parks in the revised practice notes and other refinements of the detailed requirements and guidelines to address the stakeholders' concerns; and
(h) The Administration will continue to monitor the progress of measures to expedite the lease modification, land exchange and premium valuation processes, and to look for further improvement opportunities.
The committee is pleased that the Administration sustains the work momentum of the "Be the Smart Regulator" Programme, and the business facilitation measures are welcomed by the trade. Some noteworthy progress/developments of the Programme are:
(a) A new Business Liaison Group (BLG) for guesthouses, holiday camps and holiday flats was established in late 2010, making a total of 10 BLGs covering various major trades. The BLGs are instrumental in enhancing Government-business communication and resolving regulatory or licensing issues;
(b) The Companies Registry and the Inland Revenue Department have jointly implemented a one-stop electronic company incorporation and business registration service at the e-Registry (www.eregistry.gov.hk), which allows applicants to apply online for company incorporation and business registration in one go. This reform removes a separate procedure for business registration and significantly reduces the time for completing company incorporation from four working days to less than one day;
(c) To facilitate trading across borders, the Customs and Excise Department has rolled out the Authorised Economic Operator Pilot Programme, Road Cargo System and Inter-modal Trans-shipment Facilitation Scheme with a view to streamlining customs clearance;
(d) The Social Welfare Department has launched the new modules of the Case Management-cum-Tracking Facility to enable paperless, fully automated internal operation in respect of elderly home licensing and law enforcement. The new modules can bring about enhanced risk management and ready reference risk profile on elderly homes, targeted inspection resources deployment, enhanced monitoring on staff performance, and provision of enforcement intelligence;
(e) The Travel Agents Registry of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau has implemented an Integrated Travel Agents Registration System to facilitate the analysis and processing of travel agent records and to further enhance overall licensing efficiency;
(f) The Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority has advanced the schedule of final site inspection to expedite the issue of new Amusement Game Centre Licence; and
(g) The Transport Department has introduced an appointment booking system for renewal of vehicle licences through Internet or by phone.
Papers for the committee meeting will be available at www.gov.hk/en/business/supportenterprises/bf/advisory/index.htm for public access.
Ends/Thursday, March 31, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:21
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