Louise Ho


Louise Ho Pui-shan is a Hong Kong retired civil servant and principal official who served as Commissioner of Customs and Excise from 2021 to 2024, the first woman to hold that post.

Early years

Ho was born on 31 December 1967, and studied in Ying Wa Girls' School, before graduating from the University of Hong Kong with Master of Public Administration.

Government career

Ho joined the Customs and Excise Department in February 1991 as Inspector of Customs and Excise in February 1991, and was chosen as the best recruit at the passing out parade from Customs And Excise Training School. Ho was promoted to Superintendent in 2010, and later in 2013 to Senior Superintendent to handle parallel trading. She was awarded with Meritorious Service Medals and and was further promoted to Deputy Commissioner two years later.
On 21 October 2021, Louise Ho was appointed as the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, and was inaugurated with the National Emblem of the People's Republic of China after the amendment to National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance was passed. She told reporters after inauguration ceremony that smuggling lobsters from Hong Kong to China will undermine Chinese trade restrictions against Australia, and endanger the national security, hence the customs has intensified the crackdown on so. As the Chinese Government has been claiming the ban on Australian lobsters was over fears of elevated traces of minerals and metals since October 2020, comments from Ho were the first official remarks that suggest the targeting of Australian lobsters was motivated by political interests, not health or contamination fears. Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan, as a result, asked Beijing whether Australia was economically sanctioned. Ho later insisted food security is part of national security, argued that her comments were misinterpreted and the authorities will not tolerate so.

Family

Louise Ho, who was Assistant Superintendent in Customs Department at that time, met Chief Immigration Officer Erick Tsang at work. The duo got married while Tsang was in posting at Office of the Hong Kong Government in Beijing, and finally registered their marriage in 2007. Tsang and Ho did not go on honeymoon, and had no children because of work. They are the first and so far the only pair of couples to serve simultaneously as "principal officials" of the special administrative region.

Honour

  • C.M.S.M.