. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  S/C/N/319 
28 January 2005 
 
 (05-0358) 
Council for Trade in Services 
 Original:   English 
 
 
NOTIFICATION PURSUANT TO ARTICLE III: 3 OF THE 
GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN SERVICES 
 
  The following notification, dated 26 January 2005,  from the delegation of Hong Kong, China, 
is being circulated to the Members of the Council for Trade in Services. 
 
_______________ 
 
 1. Member notifying: 
 Hong Kong, China 
 
2. Notification under: 
 Article III, paragraph 3 of the General Agreement on Trade in Services 
 
3. Date of entry into force: 
(a) Insurance Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Part 1 of Third Schedule) 
Regulation 2003 (“Part 1 Amendment Regulation”) 
 (b) Insurance Companies Ordinance (Amendment of Part 8 of Third Schedule) 
Regulation 2003 (“Part 8 Amendment Regulation”) 
  They both entered into force on 3 April 2003. 
 
 Duration:  
  Indefinite 
 
4. Agency responsible for implementation  and enforcement of the measure: 
 Office of the Commissioner of Insurance 
 
5. Complete description of the measure
1 indicating the modes of supply covered, the effect 
on trade in services (e.g., restrictions/liberalization measures) and the impact of the 
measure on commitments in the Member’s schedule and Article II (MFN) exemption list, if relevant: 
Part 1 Amendment Regulation adds a defi nition of “Hong Kong long term insurance 
business” to Part 1 of The Third Schedule to the Insurance Companies Ordinance 
                                                     
 
1  Including international agreements, recognition measures or other types. S/C/N/319 
Page 2  
 
(“Ordinance”), and specifies the audit requireme nt in respect of Form prescribed in the 
Regulation.    The purposes of this Amendment Regulation are to provide a clear delineation of what insurance business constitutes Hong Kong long te rm insurance business and to ensure the 
integrity of information relating to such busin ess to be submitted to the Insurance Authority 
(“IA”) by a long term insurer.  Part 8 Amendment Regulation imposes a duty on a lo ng term insurer to submit annually to the 
IA specific information in the new forms of  annual returns for its Hong Kong long term 
insurance business. 
 Further information about the two Ame ndment Regulations is available at: 
 http://www.info.gov.hk/oci/framework/index.htm
 (under the section of “Latest Legislative 
Developments”) 
 
6. Members specifically affected, if any: 
 None 
 
7. The texts are available from: 
The full text of the Amendment Regulations is available from: 
 Part 1 Amendment Regulation:  http://www.gld.gov.hk/cgi-
bin/gld/egazette/gazettefiles.cgi?lang=e& extra=&year=2003&month=01&day=17&vol=07&
no=03&gn=2&header=1&part=1&df=1&nt=s2& acurrentpage=12&agree=1&newfile=1&gaz
_type=ls2   
 Part 8 Amendment Regulation:  
http://www.gld.gov.hk/cgi-
bin/gld/egazette/gazettefiles.cgi?lang=e& extra=&year=2003&month=01&day=17&vol=07&
no=03&gn=3&header=1&part=1&df=1&nt=s2& acurrentpage=12&agree=1&newfile=1&gaz
_type=ls2  
 
Office of the Commissioner of Insurance 
Telephone: (+852) 2867 2565 Telefax: (+852) 2869 0252 Website: http://www.info.gov.hk/oci
 
 E-mail Enquiry: iamail@oci.gov.hk    
 
The document is also available from the Secretariat and Hong Kong, China’s GATS enquiry 
point. 
 
__________