Hong Kong customs providing extra training, revising internal guidelines following domestic national security law enactment
- Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho says training will give staff an understanding about their duties under Safeguarding National Security Ordinance
- Customs dealt with more cases involving illicit cigarettes, dangerous drugs and intellectual property infringements last year, chief says
Hong Kong customs will provide frontline officers with additional training and revise its internal guidelines following the recent enactment of the domestic national security law, the department’s chief has said.
Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho Pui-shan said on Wednesday that the training would give staff an understanding about their duties under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance enacted last week.
“We need to update our internal guidelines on how to perform our duties in this regard,” Ho said during an annual review of customs’ work.
“We will also provide training to our frontline staff so they have a thorough understanding of the new powers provided under the new ordinance.”
Ho later told the Post the guidelines were “operational orders regarding the enforcement and statutory powers” under the new legislation mandated under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution, and that the changes would be finalised “as soon as possible”.
