Telemarketing rules strengthened

Twelve trade associations from seven industries together launched the enhanced Industry Regulatory Scheme for Marketing Calls to further expand and strengthen industry regulation of marketing calls today.

The Commerce & Economic Development Bureau and the Office of the Communications Authority jointly hosted the Launch Ceremony of the Enhanced Industry Regulatory Scheme for Marketing Calls.

The bureau explained that the 12 trade associations from finance, insurance, telecommunications, call centres, beauty, estate agencies and money lenders will implement their enhanced Codes of Practice on Person-to-Person Marketing Calls (Industry Codes) for industry regulation of telemarketing practices.

Such practices include 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, Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau said that in response to public expectations 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.

He emphasised that the Government understands that a number of industries, especially the micro, small and medium enterprises, need to rely on marketing calls to maintain their corporate or 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, Mr Yau added.

The finance, insurance, telecommunications and call centres industries pioneered the establishment and implementation of their own Industry Codes in 2011 to proactively regulate telemarketing practices in the respective industries.

Mr Yau welcomed the participation of the beauty, estate agencies and money lenders industries, which inject new vitality into the scheme.

He also called on the industries to uphold the spirit of unity and collaboration to create a more harmonious and healthy market environment.

Click here for details of the scheme.