With effect from April 1, 2007, the quantities of tobacco and alcoholic liquor that local residents and visitors can bring into Hong Kong free of duty will be aligned.
Passengers aged 18 or above will be entitled to the duty-free concessions of 1 litre of alcoholic liquor; and 60 cigarettes or 15 cigars or 75 grammes of other manufactured tobacco.
Holders of a Hong Kong Identity Card must have spent 24 hours or longer outside Hong Kong in order to be eligible for the duty-free concessions.
The Senior Staff Officer of the Office of Dutiable Commodities Administration, Mr Albert Ho, today (March 28) said, "As the duty-free concessions in Hong Kong have not been changed for a long time, and the revised duty-free concession entitlement will have great impact on both local residents and visitors, Hong Kong Customs has launched a publicity programme covering major targets as local residents, Mainland and overseas visitors.
"In the publicity programme, Hong Kong Customs strives to reach out to local and overseas travellers along their journey, that is, before they embark on their journey, during their trip, and upon their arrival in Hong Kong. Various media are deployed to heighten travellers' awareness of the revised duty-free concessions.
"In light of the upcoming Easter Holidays and the Golden Week with a foreseeable upsurge of arriving travellers, Hong Kong Customs will step up publicity on the revised duty-free concessions," Mr Ho said.
To enable local residents and visitors to familiarize with the new duty-free concession limits when they are preparing for their journey, Hong Kong Customs has requested travel agencies, tourist guides, airlines and ferry services companies to assist in the publicity of the new duty-free concessions.
To facilitate travellers from every corner of the world to learn about their entitlement, Hong Kong Customs' website provides useful information of the revised duty-free concessions. Targeting at local residents, Hong Kong Customs has arranged radio broadcast of a newly-produced Announcement in the Public Interest (API) to widely publicise the new duty-free concession limits.
As travellers use different transportation means to come to Hong Kong, Hong Kong Customs has requested airlines, shipping companies providing services plying between the Mainland, Macau and Hong Kong, Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation and cross-boundary transport companies to show a promotional video and distribute leaflets in-flight, and on board vehicles and vessels.
The Department has specially arranged to display notices at corresponding outport duty-free shops at land and sea boundary control points in the Mainland and Macau. Through such arrangement, Mainland travellers will be acquainted with the new duty-free quantities when they make purchases of tobacco and alcoholic liquor during their trip to Hong Kong.
To target at arriving travellers, Hong Kong Customs will show a promotional video on TVs in the passenger arrival halls of control points such as the Airport, Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau and Man Kam To; broadcast a promotional soundtrack through public announcement systems; and display notices and posters at prominent locations.
Hong Kong Customs will increase manpower at all control points to offer in-situ assistance to travellers; and set up counters to handle public enquiries.
With the extensive publicity programme, Hong Kong Customs aims at familiarising travellers with their new duty-free concession entitlement ahead of their journey such that they could enjoy smooth customs clearance.
Arriving passengers having dutiable commodities exceeding their duty-free concession entitlement have to go through the Red Channel to make declaration to Customs officers and pay relevant duty.
Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, any arriving passenger makes a false or incomplete declaration to a Customs officer on the quantity of dutiable goods in his/her possession, he/she may either be fined under the "Compounding Scheme" or be prosecuted. If prosecuted and convicted, the offender is subject to the maximum penalty of a fine of $1 million and to imprisonment for two years.
The public can obtain details of the revised duty-free concession entitlement by browsing the Hong Kong Customs website at http://www.customs.gov.hk/ or call the Customs enquiry hotline at 2815 7711.
Ends/Wednesday, March 28, 2007
