Commerce and Economic Development Bureau

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau is an agency of the Government of Hong Kong responsible for policy matters on Hong Kong's external commercial relations, inward investment promotion, intellectual property protection, industry and business support, tourism, consumer protection and competition, as well as broadcasting, film-related issues, overall view of creative industries, development of telecommunications, and control of obscene and indecent articles in Hong Kong.[1]

Commerce and Economic Development Bureau
商務及經濟發展局
Emblem of the Hong Kong SAR
Agency overview
Formed2007
HeadquartersCentral Government Complex, Admiralty
Employees450
Minister responsible
Deputy Minister responsible
  • Bernard Chan, Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
Agency executive
  • Eliza Lee, Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Commerce, Industry and Tourism)
Child agencies
Websitecedb.gov.hk
Commerce and Economic Development Bureau
Traditional Chinese商務及經濟發展局
Simplified Chinese商务及经济发展局

The bureau is headed by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, currently Edward Yau. It is divided into the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch and the Communications and Creative Industry Branch, each headed by a Permanent Secretary.

History edit

In January 2021, the department, under Edward Yau, said that a policy to require SIM card registration, where users of SIM cards would need to link their IDs, was necessary.[2] In May 2023, after the policy was implemented, the government revealed that phone scams increased by 76% from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023.[3] In May 2023, Cheung Wun-yiu filed a judicial appeal against the SIM card registration policy.[4]

Subordinate departments edit

The following public entities are managed by the bureau:[5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Commerce and Economic Development Bureau - Home". www.cedb.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 5 July 2007.
  2. ^ Candice Chau (29 January 2021). "Minister says Hong Kong SIM card ID registration plan will thwart crime, but expert says workarounds possible". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. ^ Cheng, Mandy. "Hong Kong sees overall crime rise by almost 50% in first quarter of 2023 - fraud and violent crime up - Hong Kong Free Press HKFP". hongkongfp.com. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  4. ^ Mok, Lea. "Legal bid launched against Hong Kong gov't over real-name SIM card registration - Hong Kong Free Press HKFP". hongkongfp.com. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Commerce and Economic Development Bureau - Home". www.cedb.gov.hk. Archived from the original on 5 July 2007.

External links edit