​Hong Kong Customs has drawn up a series of measures to prepare for the arrival of Mainland visitors and cater for the commuting needs of Hong Kong citizens during the National Day Golden Week period to ensure smooth passenger, vehicular and goods flows at each control point.
In anticipation of the increased number of visitors arriving in Hong Kong, Customs will deploy manpower and resources flexibly at each control point, as well as making early preparations for deployment with a view to ensuring the smooth operation of passenger and cargo clearance. Also, the Inter-departmental Joint Command Centre, composed of Customs, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department and other departments, will be activated during the National Day Golden Week to monitor the situation at each land control point and take contingency actions where necessary. Customs will also maintain close liaison with Mainland counterparts to step up co-ordination and communication at each control point.
Customs will continue to apply risk assessment strategy and intelligence analysis to select passengers and cargoes for clearance to prevent any prohibited and controlled items from being smuggled into and out of Hong Kong. Special enforcement operations will be conducted when necessary to combat various smuggling activities. Customs will also further step up the promotion and education efforts by distributing the Smart Guide to Passenger Clearance in boundary control points to remind members of the public and travellers not to bring prohibited and controlled items into and out of Hong Kong, as well as disseminating information people should be aware of when crossing the border via the social media platform pages.
In addition, the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles (the Scheme) was implemented on July 1, 2023. Customs allocated resource flexibly to facilitate the implementation of the Scheme, as well as having prepared designated promotional videos and leaflets before the launch of the Scheme to introduce the Customs clearance routes, procedures and points to note for private cars travelling outbound and inbound via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port. A dedicated page (www.customs.gov.hk/en/publications-useful-information/useful-information/QFS/index.html) was also created on Customs website for public enquiry.
To enhance clearance efficiency at land control points and facilitate cross-boundary private cars (CBPC), including the private cars participated in the Scheme, travelling between the Mainland and Hong Kong, Customs implemented the "Smart Crossing" Scheme to improve the recognition rate of the licence plate numbers (LPNs) of CBPC through radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The owner or driver of a CBPC can voluntarily join the "Smart Crossing" Scheme by providing his/her name and LPN for registration at no cost. After registration, Customs officers would affix an RFID tag to the windshield of the CBPC. When the CBPC passes by the Customs kiosk, the driver and passengers can then enjoy a more efficient customs clearance service. To assist private cars under the Scheme to participate in the "Smart Crossing" Scheme, Hong Kong Customs has set up an additional counter for application at the designated location for vehicle inspection in Yuen Long. For details, please visit the "Smart Crossing" Scheme's website (www.customs.gov.hk/en/publications-useful-information/useful-information/smart-crossing-scheme-for-cross-boundary-private/index.html).
Ends/Friday, September 29, 2023
