The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today (26 June 2024) jointly hosted the Launch Ceremony of the Enhanced Industry Regulatory Scheme for Marketing Calls. Twelve trade associations from seven industries, namely finance, insurance, telecommunications, call centres, beauty, estate agencies and money lenders (see Annex 1 for the full list), together launched the enhanced Industry Regulatory Scheme for Marketing Calls to further expand and strengthen industry regulation of marketing calls.
The 12 trade associations from the aforementioned seven industries will implement their enhanced Codes of Practice on Person-to-Person Marketing Calls (Industry Codes) for industry regulation of telemarketing practices, including requiring telemarketers to provide their names and contact numbers upon recipients' requests, as well as limiting the number of calls made by telemarketers to the same telephone number within a specific time frame.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said that in response to public expectation for better regulation of marketing calls, the Government has adopted a pragmatic and effective approach by actively collaborating with different trade associations to enhance their Industry Codes on the condition that normal business operations are not compromised. "We understand that a number of industries, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises, need to rely on marketing calls to maintain their corporate/business operations. The Scheme strikes a balance between the need for business operation and minimising nuisance caused by such calls, while contributing to enhance the industries' image and hence achieving a win-win situation," he stressed.
Mr Yau expressed his gratitude to the finance, insurance, telecommunications and call centres industries for pioneering the establishment and implementation of their own Industry Codes in 2011 to proactively regulate the telemarketing practices in the respective industries, and welcomed the participation of the beauty, estate agencies and money lenders industries, which inject new vitality into the Scheme. He called on the industries to uphold the spirit of unity and collaboration to create a more harmonious and healthy market environment.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of Communications, Mr Chaucer Leung, pointed out that since the implementation of Industry Codes by a number of industries in 2011, the number of enquiries and complaints related to marketing calls received by the Government have drastically reduced from 2 060 cases in 2011 to 124 cases in the first five months of 2024, reflecting the effectiveness of industry regulation. The Government will continue to join hands with different industries to further enhance the Scheme.
To raise public awareness of the Scheme and encourage industries' participation, OFCA also launched the new logo of the Scheme today (see Annex 2). Participating organisations are welcome to use the logo to showcase their efforts and commitments in proactively regulating telemarketing calls.
For details of the Scheme and the list of participating organisations, please visit OFCA's thematic webpage: https://www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/guide/others/telemarketing_calls/industry_regulatory_scheme/index.html
Office of the Communications Authority
26 June 2024
