1. With the trade’s support to pledge that all tax savings will be passed to consumers, we have finally succeeded in convincing the Government to decrease the wine duty from 80% to 0% over the last two years.  Hong Kong is now on the road to be the Asian Wine Distribution Center.

2. Our continuous tireless effort have gained Government’s agreement to cut 19% in the Trade Effluent Surcharge (TES) rate for restaurants to $3.05 per cubic meter and further extend the validity period of reassessment from 2 years to 3 years with effective from 1 August 2008.

3. We have successfully stopped the GST proposal after over 6,000 protestors many from the catering industry joined the “Say No to GST” rally organized by the Liberal Party on 6 August 2006.

4. The Government set up the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee and appointed me as the convener of its Food Business Task Force in 2006 to serve as a communication platform for the trade and the administration to review license measures.  The task force is making progress such as providing the Government with a legislative review proposal on liquor license.  Also, the License Application Tracking Facility was launched in Feb 2008 to enhance the transparency of license application.

5. In early January 2008, the State suddenly imposed tariffs of up to 25% on the export of wheat, corn and rice flour, causing a short supply and soaring prices of flour in Hong Kong.  Together with the Liberal Party, I immediately related the trade’s worries to the CE and his principal officials.  After their follow-up actions over the weekend, the Ministry of Commerce declared that the tariff was not applicable to products for the consumption of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

6. On 5 July 2007, I asked the Chief Executive at the LegCo to consider terminating the 40-year monopoly of importing live pigs to Hong Kong.  Half a month later, the Government made an agreement with the State Ministry of Commerce to add two more suppliers importing live pigs from the Mainland.

7. Regarding Bills Committee on Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2005, I successfully convinced the Government and the LegCo to give a 2½-year grace period to bars that do not admit anyone under 18, mahjong clubs and parlours, commercial bath houses, massage establishments and nightclubs.  Smoking is still allowed in these premises till 1 July 2009.

8. The Government was finally convinced to launch a 2-year study on smoking rooms while the legislative amendment was passed to ban smoking in all public indoor places including restaurants in Oct 2006.

9. Successfully won the support of the LegCo to pass my motion of “Relief Measures and Compensation Policies for the Live Poultry Trades” on 29 November 2006. As Chairman of the Panel on Food Safety & Environmental Hygiene of the LegCo, I have told the Government that, “Unless you come to an agreement with the whole trade on the compensation arrangements, the Central Poultry Slaughterhouse should not be allowed to open for tender.”

10. The LegCo passed my motion with majority support to review the licensing policy for side-street restaurants “dai pai dongs” on 23 November 2005 so as to keep this traditional culinary culture thriving and as a special attraction for tourists.  The Government therefore is purposing to relax arrangements on the succession and transfer of licenses for “dai pai dongs” in early June 2008.