./.RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONGPA/W/218
10 October 2002
(02-5482)
Committee on Government Procurement Original:  English
COMMUNICATION FROM HONG KONG, CHINA
The following communication, dated 7 October 2002, has been received from the Hong Kong
Economic and Trade Office with the request that it be circulated to the Committee on Government
Procurement.
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With reference to the proposed modifications to Annex 1 of Appendix I by Canada as
circulated in GPA/W/203 on 12 September 2002, Hong Kong, China would like to seek the following
clarification and information.
1. According to GPA/W/203, the proposed modifications arise from a restructuring of
government operations, in which government organizations were renamed, combined, or their
functions were moved to other organizations.  We should be grateful if Canada could advise when the
restructuring took place and whether it is a one-off reorganization exercise.  We would also appreciate
it if Canada could provide more details about such restructuring of government operations.
2. We note that the following entities were either dissolved or ended:
Dissolved:
(a) Science Council of Canada (item 21);
(b) Canadian Sentencing Commission (item 53);
(c) Economic Council of Canada (item 77);  and(d) Agricultural Stabilization Board (item 89).
Ended:
(a) Commission of Inquiry into the Air Onta rio Crash at Dryden, Ontario (item 55);
(b) Commission of Inquiry into the Use of Drugs and Banned Practices Intended to
Increase Athletic Performance (item 56);
(c) Royal Commission on Electoral Refo rm and Party Financing (item 83);
(d) Royal Commission on National Passenger Transportation (item 84);
(e) Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies (item 85);  and(f) Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront (item 86).GPA/W/218
Page 2
We would like to know whether there is any diff erence between "dissolved" and "ended", and how the
functions of the original entities are being carried out after they have been dissolved or ended.  We
should be grateful if Canada could provide a list of the relevant entities, if any, that have taken up the
procurement activities of those dissolved or ended.
3. We should also be grateful for Canada's clarification on whether the proposed modifications
will alter the level of the mutually agr eed coverage provided in the Agreement.
4. We have the following specific observations and questions on individual entities:(a) The description of the Department of Fish eries and Oceans in Attachment 2 (item 15) is
different from that in Attachment 1 (item 17).  Specifically, the phrase "other than thefunctions of the Canadian Coast Guard" is miss ing from the description in Attachment 1.  We
should also be grateful if Canada could confirm which description is correct.
(b) We note that the application of national security considerations to the Canadian Coast Guard
is not mentioned in the original description of the Department of Fisheries and Ocean,whereas similar application is specified in the original and revised descriptions of the
Department of Transport (item 43).  We should be grateful for Canada's clarification.
(c) The names of the following entities in Attachment 1 are different from those in the existing
Annex 1 of Appendix I of Canada:
• Item 6:  "Canada Employment and Immigration Commission" appears as "Employment
and Immigration Commission" in the existing Annex 1 of Appendix I;
• Item 44:  "Treasury Board Secretariat and the Office of the Comptroller General" appears
as "Treasury Board Secretariat and the Office of the Controller General" in the existing
Annex 1 of Appendix I;
• Item 78:  "Public Service Staff Relations Office"  appears as "Public Service Staff
Relations Board" in the existing Annex 1 of Appendix I;  and
• Item 91:  "Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Board"  appears as
"Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety" in the existing Annex 1 of
Appendix I.
(d) Item 64 in Attachment 1 ("Officers of the Information and Privacy Commissioners of
Canada") is different from item 55 in Attachment 2 ("Offices of the Information and Privacy
Commissioners of Canada").
We should be most grateful if Canada could provide clarification and information as
requested above to facilitate the consideration of the proposed modifications by other Parties.
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