Commerce and Economic Development Bureau

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau is a policy bureau 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
Formed	2007
Headquarters	Central Government Complex, Admiralty
Employees	450
Minister responsible	Algernon Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
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	Intellectual Property Department Invest Hong Kong Office of the Communications Authority Hongkong Post Radio Television Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Overseas)
Website	cedb.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
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shāngwù jí Jīngjìfāzhǎn Jú Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Sēung mouh kahp gīng jai faat jín guhk Jyutping Soeng1 mou6 kap6 ging1 zai3 faat3 zin2 guk6

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

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

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

• Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices (Overseas)
• Intellectual Property Department
• Invest Hong Kong
• Office of the Communications Authority
• Post Office
• Radio Television Hong Kong
• Trade and Industry Department

See also

• Hong Kong Disciplined Services
• Hong Kong Trade Development Council
• Consumer Council (Hong Kong)
• Competition Commission
• Communications Authority
• Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation

References

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

• Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (Official site)