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The Government announced today (Wednesday) the establishment of the Review Body on Bid Challenges under the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO GPA).

Under the agreement, the Government is obliged to provide open and non-discriminatory treatment to all goods and services irrespective of their country of origin, and to provide for open and fair competition amongst domestic and foreign suppliers.

A Government spokesman said, "The Government's procurement system is open, transparent and fair among all suppliers of goods and services.

"The establishment of the Review Body will provide an independent avenue, as required under the WTO GPA, for considering any challenge from suppliers on alleged breaches of the WTO GPA arising in the context of relevant procurements in which they have, or have had, an interest," he said.

The procuring entities in Hong Kong covered by the WTO GPA include all government departments, the Provisional Urban and Regional Councils, and public entities including the Housing Authority, Hospital Authority, Airport Authority, Mass Transit Railway Corporation and Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation.

The Review Body comprises 12 members, viz one Chairman, one Deputy Chairman and 10 members, who are appointed by the Secretary for Trade and Industry for a period of one year with effect from January 1, 1999.

The Review Body will be serviced by a Secretariat within the Trade and Industry Bureau.

The Chairman of the Review Body is Mr Neil Kaplan, SC, who is the Chairman of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre and a former High Court Judge.

Dr John Ho Dit-sang has been appointed as the Deputy Chairman of the Review Body. He is the Associate Professor of the School of Law of the City University of Hong Kong and Vice-Chairman of the Consumer Council.

The 10 members are:

Dr Patrick Fung Kwok-on Chairman of the Institute of

Purchasing and Supply of Hong Kong

Mr Theodore Patrick Hsiung Director of Customer Service

of Hongkong Telecom Ltd

Mr Fred Kan Ka-chong Senior partner of FRED KAN & Co

Mr Larry Kwok Lam-kwong Partner of KWOK & YIH in

association with Blake Dawson

Waldron

Mr Edward Kwong Chung-yim Shared Services Development

Manager of China Light & Power

Co Ltd

Mr Kenneth Lau To-koon Managing Director of Hyder

Consulting Limited

Mr Law Chi-yuen Partner of WONG, POON, CHAN,

LAW & Co

Mr Thomas Brian Stevenson Chairman of Ernst & Young

Professor Tsang Shu-ki Professor of Department of

Economics of Hong Kong

Baptist University

Mr Jimmy Tse Lai-leung President of the Hong Kong

Construction Association

End/Wednesday, December 30, 1998

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