Budget Speech

Testing and Certification Services

111.      The Government has accepted the three-year market-oriented development plan for the testing and certification industry submitted by the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification. The Council has selected four trades, namely Chinese medicine, food, construction materials and jewellery, for focused development of testing and certification services. Such services include authenticity testing of Chinese herbal medicine, food safety system certification, product certification of construction materials, and development of standard testing methods for two types of jade.

112.      We will step up the promotion of our testing and certification services outside Hong Kong through participation in major trade fairs. With regard to access to the Mainland market, we have taken steps to implement Supplement VII to CEPA. Starting from this year, testing organisations in Hong Kong can for the first time undertake product testing for the China Compulsory Certification System on a pilot basis for four types of products processed in Hong Kong (i.e. toys, circuit installations, information technology equipment and lighting apparatus). This initiative will help create business opportunities for local laboratories, and facilitate access to the Mainland market for products processed in Hong Kong. We will assist the industry in implementing this pilot scheme.

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