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  • 1997.11.14

The growth of private car ownership is fast on the rise in Hong Kong. There were some 280,000 private cars licensed last year. This is more than twice the number a decade ago and represents, on average, one private car for every 22 people.

But this rapid growth has also brought with it another set of alarming statistics. According to the Transport Department, in 1996 alone, there were 7,283 private cars involved in 5,790 traffic accidents resulting in 38 fatalities (22 drivers and 16 passengers) and 562 serious injuries (274 drivers and 288 passengers). This means, on average, for every 1,000 private cars involved in road accidents, 5.2 people were killed and 77.2 seriously injured.

Motorists can help put a brake on the number of deaths and injuries on the roads if they understand and recognise the crucial role of vehicle safety.

Car buyers, however, often make their choice on grounds of car performance, fuel economy, colour, style and personal preference rather than safety or the protection that a car can provide to reducing injury levels in the event of an accident.

The Consumer Council has published, for the first time, the results of a comparative safety test on motor cars – 8 small cars (superminis) and 13 family sized saloon cars – conducted by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro-NCAP).

The Euro-NCAP consists of a consortium of consumer groups, the International Automobile Federation (FIA), International Testing (IT) of which the Consumer Council is a member, the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), the Automobile Association (AA) and the UK and Swedish governments. The European commission and the government of Holland will also join the Euro-NCAP in its future car testing programme.

There already exists other new car assessment programmes in the United States, Australia and Japan, but Euro-NCAP is unique in that it includes tests on front and side impact and also gives information on pedestrian protection whereas others concentrate on front impact only.

The Euro-NCAP testing provides independent factual information to help car buyers choose safety and provides an incentive for manufacturers to improve their cars. Those manufacturers who choose to emphasize safety also get recognition for their efforts.

The report, published in this November issue of 'CHOICE', is based mainly on the UK Consumers' Association publication 'WHICH?' Crash tests were carried out to mimic two of the most common types of accident – front and side impacts. Also carried out was a series of tests to see how well each car would limit the damage incurred by pedestrians in an accident.

The report on the 13 large family cars reveals that there are large differences in the levels of occupant protection offered by different cars in the same class. For example, in the crash tests, drivers were far more likely to receive potentially-fatal injuries in the worst car as they would in the best.

The overall results were disappointing with regard to the measures manufacturers have taken to limit the injuries inflicted to pedestrians if they are hit by these cars. But some cars had better design features that posed less risk to pedestrians than others.

Considerable differences in the safety levels were also found in the crash test on the 8 superminis.

Some of the popular car models in Hong Kong are not included in the test and some of the tested models are currently not available here. Nevertheless the report should serve as a reliable guide to the crashworthiness of cars – and to encourage consumers to think about safety when they buy a car and encourage manufacturers to build cars as good as the best in each class size.


Rice products come in different strains –- "fragrant", "sew mew", "pearl", etc. They differ in colour - white, brown, red and black? Some are more highly priced than others. Also different are their hygiene condition and nutritional value.

But what do all these differences mean to the millions who consume rice as the staple food daily? Just how do the various brands and types of rice differ? And how significant are these differences?

To enhance consumer awareness and understanding of these differences, the Consumer Council published today, in its latest (253) issue of 'CHOICE', a comprehensive report dealing with rice products available in the Hong Kong market. Included in the report are the results of a comparative test of 40 rice products (30 white rice and 10 "coloured" rice). Highlights of the test include:

  • Hygiene Contamination: The report is quick to dispel any doubts of lead contamination in rice (as reported by some Japanese scientists last year). Nor was any bacteria (Bacillus cereus associated with food poisoning) detected in the test samples.
  • Cleanliness: All but one sample comply with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Standards. Nevertheless, nearly half (19) of the samples were detected with traces of extraneous matters such as sand, stone, stalk, bran, husk and straw. Also observed was hair in 1 sample and dead insect bodies in 3 samples. The 1 sample that failed the ISO Standards was found with a live insect.

Nutrition

  • "Coloured" rice are higher in fibre, vitamin and mineral content, with red rice followed by brown rice.
  • The 2 "enriched" samples included in the test are not quite what they claim to be and are not in full compliance with the newly amended Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations. The amended legislation requires products with special emphasis on presence of particular ingredients to label the actual amount or percentage by weight of those particular ingredients emphasized.

But according to the test, 1 sample contains 2 nutrients lower than specified while the other, with the highest Vitamin B1 and E amongst all samples, have 2 nutrients lower than those in ordinary white rice.

The report also evaluates the effect of special packaging on some rice samples with claims of: "vacuum treated", "CO2 treated", and "packaged to retain freshness". The claims are by no means a guarantee of total cleanliness as extraneous matter such as hair or dead insects were present in some such samples.

On the other hand, no extraneous matter was detected in 13 samples without any claim of special packaging.

The report notes that the purpose of special packaging is defeated, in some cases, where the sellers choose to punch holes on the package for ease of staking up the rice.

The report also offers consumers tips on the following:-

  • Check the durability indication to pick the fresher product.
  • Rice should be stored in dry area below 18oC. "Coloured" rice should be consumed within 6 months after purchase. White rice generally have a longer storage time.
  • "Coloured" rice such as red rice and brown rice are more nutritious than white rice but they are also more expensive and have a unique texture. Consumers of white rice should include more vegetables or cereals in their meals to ensure adequate intake of nutrients.

The Consumer Council has received two separate complaints from retailers against suppliers for enforcing resale price maintenance (RPM) by withholding suppliers.

RPM is a vertical restriction that exists when suppliers require retailers to sell their products at, or above, a specified price.

The Consumer Council has reached the conclusion that the practice of RPM which is anti-competitive exists in Hong Kong. This evidence further demonstrates the need for Hong Kong to enact a comprehensive Competition Law and establish a Competition Authority to enforce it.

In many jurisdictions, for example, Japan, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, RPM is specifically prohibited in legislation. The reason for treating RPM differently from other vertical restraints is that it has a direct and immediate effect on price.

The first complaint on RPM was received from a supermarket that has an aggressive pricing policy designed to attract customers through low prices. Each week a significant number of products are advertised for sale at below the recommended resale price (RRP).


Advertising products at less than RRP is common practice in supermarket retailing but it is often done only after the retailers and the suppliers have agreed what the discounted price will be. So what is really being advertised is a reduction in the normal RRP but it is still a recommended price.

What the supermarket concerned did was to go below the agreed discount price or to offer a discount that had not been agreed with the suppliers.

This led to complaints by suppliers to the supermarket and threats that supplies would be withheld until the supermarket returned to the agreed price level. In some cases these threats were carried out.

The other complaint was from a retailer that sells furniture and general household products. In a recent promotional effort by the company, it sold mattresses from several suppliers at a 40% discount. This level of discount was below the recommended resale price and below the approved discount rate of products by the supplier.

As a result the supplier withheld further supplies, and refused to deliver to customers who purchased at the discounted price during the promotion period. The refusal to deliver resulted in consumer complaints to the retailer. Since the retailer did not have the mattresses in stock, consumers had to settle for other brands or a refund.

Reaching definitive conclusions in respect of the two complaints is not a role the Consumer Council should adopt. It is not simply a question of the absence of the investigative power, although such power would be necessary to resolve the differences in the versions of event given to the Council by the complainants and some of their suppliers. The Consumer Council is not a competition authority.

The existence of RPM in Hong Kong serves to support the Council's recommendations that there should be a Competition Law prohibiting practices such as RPM and a Competition Authority to establish the facts in individual cases.


Be wary of the potential side effects of dieter's teas.

Some dieter's teas may contain stimulant laxatives which when consumed in excessive amount, can produce serious side effects such as diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, chronic constipation, fainting and, in extreme cases, even death.

In this November issue of 'CHOICE' is included a report on dieter's teas favoured by many as a means to slimming.

The report points out that laxative –induced diarrhea does not significantly reduce absorption of calories. This is because the laxatives have little effect on the small intestine where most calories are absorbed, but rather on the colon, the lower end of the bowel.

The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has expressed grave concern over stimulant laxative teas that may contain one or more of these substances - senna, aloe, rhubarb root, buckthorn, cascara and castor oil.

A Consumer Council's survey on the local market reveals that not many of the dieter's teas contain such substances. Instead many are found to contain Chinese herbs that may also possess similar laxative properties.

Manufacturers or agents of dieter's teas are urged to label their products in details. In particular, such information as dosage, steeping time, possible side effects and any other warnings should be clearly labelled for the attention of consumers.


It pays to shop around when choosing an international call service. It could substantially reduce your bill for long distance calls.

Besides the 4 fixed telecommunication network services operators, there now also exist international call services provided by over 20 call-back operators.

The Consumer Council has conducted a price comparison of 19 companies for long distance calls to 10 most popular destinations from Hong Kong. The results are quite an eye opener and consumers are urged to consult the report in this 253 issue of 'CHOICE' for reference.

Apart from the price, consumers should also pay heed and compare: the types of services (direct dial vs call back), increment unit (1 sec/6 sec/1 min), minimum charging length, billing accuracy, amount of deposit, contractual terms, transmission speed, reliability, sound quality, ease of use, customer service, etc.

As promotion plans vary from one company to another, consumers should be aware of the promotion period and/or the preferential rate offered to only certain type of telephone numbers or users.

Before subscribing for an international call service, due consideration should be given to the rates of charges and your own individual needs and requirements.