HK to Introduce New Import & Export Bill for Electronic TransactionsThe Import and Export (Electronic Transactions) Bill 2001 of Hong Kong will be introduced to enable carriers to use Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) service in submitting cargo manifests to government.A government spokesman announced Thursday that the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) will introduce the bill into the Legislative Council on June 13. The EDI service will be provided by Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited ("Tradelink") under a franchise agreement signed with the government. The service is planned to be launched before the end of 2001. "The EDI service for processing submission of cargo manifests will reduce paper work, improve efficiency, and promote the wider use of e-commerce in Hong Kong. This will help maintain Hong Kong' s position as a leading international trading center," the spokesman said. To ensure a smooth migration, a transitional period will be provided whereby cargo manifests may be submitted in either paper or EDI mode. Publicity measures will be organized to alert the industry of the impending changes. These measures include setting up booths at the counters currently handling cargo manifests, displaying messages at websites, and sending letters to the industry and relevant business associations. |
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