Richard Yuen Ming-fai was appointed Saturday by China's Central People's Government as the Commissioner of Customs and Excise for the third-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, on the nomination of HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang.

The following is Yuen's brief biography:

Aged 51, Yuen joined the Administrative Service in August 1980 and is currently Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1.

Yuen has served in various departments including the former Security Branch, the former Home Affairs Department, the former Urban Services Department, the former Home Affairs Branch, the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Councils and Administration Branch, the former Finance Branch, the former Chief Secretary's Office, and the former Economic Services Branch.

He was Deputy Secretary for Economic Services from October 1996 to August 1999; Private Secretary to the Chief Executive from August 1999 to October 2002; Deputy Director in the Chief Executive's Office from March 2003 to October 2003; and Commissioner of Insurance from December 2003 to July 2006. He has been the Deputy Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food since January 2007.

Source: Xinhua