The Executive Council today (25th) approved two bills related to the Customs and Excise Department and the establishment of a new foundation.

According to the spokesman of the Executive Council, Mr. Tong Chi Kin, the bill of Customs and Excise Department would be submitted to the Legislative Assembly shortly after it is modified.

The bill, which specifies characteristics and responsibilities of the Customs, states that the Customs would be responsible for following matters:

-to prevent and combat contraband and other fraudulent cross-border activities, such as illegal transshipment and trafficking/;

-to monitor and develop external trade operations/;

-to ensure the protection of intellectual and industrial property rights/;

-to protect personal and property safety/; and

-to participate in civil protection under emergent circumstance.

The functions and powers of the Commissioner of the Customs are also regulated by the bill which suggests the duties of the Marine and Customs Police and Intellectual Property Division of the Economic Bureau be merged into the Customs.

So far, Marine and Customs Police and the Economic Bureau jointly execute the functions of Customs and Excise Department.

Mr. Tong also disclosed that the administrative regulation on the organization and operation of the Customs was being drawn up, adding that the Marine and Customs Police would be dismissed once the regulation announced.

The Customs and Excise Department is set up according to the Macau Basic Law which maintains the Macau SAR is a separate Customs territory.

Macau was a full member of GATT and became a founder member of WTO in 1994 Macau is also a member of the World Customs Organisation.

On the other hand, the Executive Council approved the bill for the establishment of a new foundation which will replace the existing Macau Foundation and Foundation for Cooperation and Development of Macau.

Mr. Tong said that the operations of the two Foundations would be terminated once the new foundation set up.