Hong Kong Customs signed a Customs Co-operative Arrangement with the Administration General of Customs of Mexico on June 25, and a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Administrative Assistance with the Tax and Customs Administration of the Netherlands on June 27 in Brussels, Belgium.
The Commissioner of Hong Kong Customs and Excise, Mr Richard Yuen; the Administrator General of Customs of Mexico, Mr Juan Jose Bravo Moise; and the Director-General for Tax & Customs Policy & Legislation of the Netherlands, Mr Theo W. Langejan, represented their respective Customs Administrations in the signing ceremonies.
The signing of the Co-operative Arrangement and the Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Administrative Assistance marked the common wish of the respective Customs Administrations to strengthen co-operation in the fight against transnational crimes and in the facilitation of trade through arrangements of mutual administrative assistance.
Hong Kong Customs, so far, has signed Customs Co-operative Arrangements with 13 Customs Administrations, including the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and 12 overseas Customs Administrations.
Mr Yuen led a four-member delegation to attend the 111th/112th Sessions of the Customs Co-operation Council (Council Sessions) at the World Customs Organization (WCO) Headquarters in Brussels.
The Council Sessions are the annual plenary bi-sessions of the WCO. During the Council Sessions, the 173 Director Generals of its Member Customs Administrations discussed a range of international issues that impact on the international Customs world.
The WCO Secretariat and various technical committees also made reports to the Council on the major developments that had been taken forward during the inter-sessional period and sought the endorsement of the Council on measures and initiatives which served to enhance Customs operations.
Ends/Sunday, June 29, 2008
