Customs tightens controls

Hong Kong’s Customs and Excise Department has beefed up enforcement measures to curb further discrepancies in the amount of fuel sold at filling stations as complaints and inquiries intensified because of a defective fuel dispenser at an Esso filling station in Tuen Mun. “All the companies are committed to strengthening their internal control systems to guard against any short supply of gasoline to citizens,” Cheung Sai-yan, the department’s head of trade controls, said in January, following a meeting with six major gasoline companies. These included Sinopec Hong Kong, CRC Petrol Filling Station, Chinaoil, Shell Hong Kong, ExxonMobil Hong Kong and Chevron. (January 12, 2007)