Hong Kong names new customs chief as current head retires

One of Hong Kong’s two deputy commissioners of customs, Chan Tsz-tat, will take the helm of the 7,500-strong agency on Tuesday, after Beijing approved his appointment to succeed the retiring chief.

Chan, 54, immediately takes over from Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho Pui-shan, the first woman to rise through the ranks to lead one of the city’s six disciplined services.

Ho turns 57 on Tuesday, the retirement age for the disciplined services.

According to news agency Xinhua, the appointment was made by the State Council on Tuesday, based on the recommendation of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.

Chan joined the Customs and Excise Department in 1994 as an inspector. In 2008, he was seconded to the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau to help in promoting Hong Kong as a wine trading hub.