| [ About the Section | Responsibilities
|Key Personnel
|
Quality Assurance | Key Instruments
| Targets and Key Indicators ]
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Product Testing
& Dutiable Commodities Section
About the
Section
|
The Section provides analytical and advisory
support to the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) in
the enforcement of legislation concerning revenue collection
and consumer protection. Analytical services are provided
to support their statutory functions under various regulations
and ordinances. Samples of government purchases are also sent
to this section by the Government Logistics Department for
determining whether the products are in compliance with tender
specifications. Testing services on miscellaneous commodities
such as flexible gas tubing and parts of endangered species
are also provided to various government departments.
A wide variety of dutiable commodities such
as spirits, liquors, cigarettes & cigars, manufactured
tobacco, diesel fuels and petrol are analysed for duty assessment
under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance. Tar and nicotine
yields of about a hundred brands of cigarettes marketed in
Hong Kong are routinely monitored for implementation of a
cigarette testing programme, which is devised in accordance
with Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance to provide enforcement
authority and the public with updated information on tar and
nicotine yields of cigarettes on sale in Hong Kong. Analysis
of suspected adulterated spirits, gold and platinum articles
for fineness as specified in Trade Descriptions (Marking)
(Gold and Gold Alloy) and (Platinum) Orders also constitute
part of the work of the Section. Verification for compliance
with Weights and Measures Ordinance is performed on a variety
of measuring equipment and pre-packed goods. Authenticity
of consumer goods is identified for the enforcement of Trade
Descriptions Ordinance. Toys and children's products are tested
against safety standards prescribed in Toys and Children's
Products Safety Ordinance while other consumer goods are tested
for compliance with Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance. |
Responsibilities
This Section helps to implement the following Ordinances
of Hong Kong:
- Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and subsidiary Regulations
- Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance and subsidiary Regulations
- Trade Descriptions Ordinance
- Trade Descriptions (Marking) (Gold and Gold Alloy) Order
- Trade Descriptions (Marking) (Platinum) Order
- Weights and Measures Ordinance
- Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance and subsidiary
Regulation
- Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance and subsidiary Regulation
- Animals and Plants (Protection of Endangered Species) Ordinance
- Gas Safety Ordinance and subsidiary Regulations
Key Personnel
Senior Chemist: Dr. C S Mok (Tel.
No.: 2180-9152 E-mail: csmok@govtlab.gov.hk)
Chemist, Chemical Analyst and Forensic Analyst
(E-mail address) |
Tel.
No. |
Mr. C K Tsang, Chemist-in-charge
(cktsang@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2180-9154 |
Dr. W H Chan, Chemist
(whchan@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2180-9149 |
Ms. W Y Chan, Chemist
(wychan@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2180-9155 |
Dr. Anita K W Cheng, Chemical Analyst
(akwcheng@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2762-3858 |
Ms. Louisa Y K Cheung, Chemist
(ykcheung@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2762-3858 |
Dr. W K Chu, Chemical Analyst
(wkchu2@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2180-9156 |
Dr. Kenneth W L Kam, Forensic Analyst
(wlkam@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2762-3872 |
Ms. Connie H Y Wong, Forensic Analyst
(hywong@govtlab.gov.hk)
|
2762-3833 |
Mr. C W Yau, Chemical Analyst
(cwyau@govtlab.gov.hk) |
2180-9155 |
|
Quality
Assurance
About 10% of the tests conducted in the Section
are for QC purposes.
Key
Instruments
|
The following instruments are used routinely
by the Section:
- Gas chromatographs with FID, TCD, MSD and NPD detectors
- Liquid chromatographs with tandem mass spectrometer, refractive index detector, photo diode array detector and fluorescence detector
- UV/Visible spectrophotometer equipped with auto-sampler
- Density meter with auto-sampler
- Smoking machine with 16-linear channel ports
- Test rig for pushchair endurance test
- Automated testing equipment for safety testing of bunk beds and children cots
- Tensile and compression tester (50 to 50,000N)
- Walk-in controlled environmental chamber
- Atomic absorption spectrometer
- Flow-injection mercury analyzer
- Ozone resistance test cabinet
- Rapid resolution liquid chromatographs with photo diode array detector and multiple wavelength detector
|
Targets
and Key Indicators
Key Performance Measures Relating to the Statutory
Testing
Targets
| Testing* |
Targets |
2006
(Actual)
|
2007
(Actual)
|
2008
(Plan) |
| Dutiable and other commodities within target
reporting time averaging 10 working days (%) |
95@ |
99 |
99 |
95 |
| Toys and children's products within target
reporting time averaging 15 working days (%) |
95 |
96 |
97 |
95 |
| Consumer goods within target reporting time
averaging 35 working days (%) |
95 |
97 |
99 |
95 |
|
| * |
Different samples require different analytical
procedures, thus different target reporting time applies. The quoted number
of working days required represents an average of target reporting time for
the different samples within the category.
|
| @ |
The target has been revised from 90% to 95% with effect from 2007. |
Key Indicators
Key Indicators for Statutory Testing
| Tests Performed |
2006
(Actual) |
2007
(Actual) |
2008
(Estimate) |
| Dutiable and other commodities |
23,325 |
22,530 |
23,000 |
| Cigarette samples |
14,064 |
12,960 |
13,000 |
| Toys and children's products |
9,687 |
11,901 |
17,000 |
| Consumer goods |
14,530 |
14,464 |
16,000 |
|
|
