WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1985
ON THE OTHER HAND, RESPONDENTS, ESPECIALLY SHIPOWNERS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE OPERATION AND THE FINANCING OF THE REGISTER.
MR HIGGINSON EXPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD YET TO COME TO A FINAL VIEW ON THESE TWO POINTS BUT THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES SET OUT IN THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT SHOULD REMAIN,
THESE WERE, FIRST, THE EXERCISE OF LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY PROPERLY TO REGULATE THE OPERATION AND STANDARDS OF REGISTERED VESSELS. THESE RESPONSIBILITIES MUST BE VESTED IN THE GOVERNMENT, OR IN A STATUTORY AUTHORITY.
AND SECOND, WITH REGARD TO FINANCE, THE FULL COST OF THE OPERATION OF THE REGISTER MUST BE MET BY THE USERS. THERE SHOULD BE NO SUBSIDY FROM PUBLIC FUNDS, HE ADDED.
IN THE LIGHT OF ASSESSMENT, MR HIGGINSON REVEALED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD REVISE, REFINE AND FURTHER DEVELOP ITS THOUGHTS AS APPROPIATE ON THE VARIOUS AREAS, ESPECIALLY ON NATIONALITY LINK STANDARDS OF SAFETY, EQUIPMENT, MANNING AND QUALIFICATIONS- OPERATION OF THE REGISTER- AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH THE REGISTER WOULD OPERATE.
WITH REGARD TO THE LAST ITEM, GIVEN THAT SO MANY EXISTING STANDARDS WERE NOW PRESENT IN BRITISH LEGISLATION, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO LOCALISE A VAST AREA OF IMPERIAL LEGISLATION, CONTINUED.
HE
THIS LENGTHY PROCESS HAD STARTED, MR HIGGINSON SAID, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD DRAWN UP A WORK TIMETABLE WHICH, ACCORDING TO EVEN THE MOST CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE, SPANNED SOME FIVE YEARS.
HE ASSURED THAT AN AUTONOMOUS SHIPPING REGISTER HAD IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG WIDER THAN THOSE SIMPLY RELATED TO SHIPPING AS THE INSTITUTE OF SEATRANSPORT WOULD APPRECIATE,
FOR EXAMPLE, A SEPARATE, AUTONOMOUS AND INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED SHIPPING REGISTER WHICH COULD SPAN THE TRANSITION THROUGH 1997 AND WELL BEYOND WOULD PROVIDE CONFIDENCE AND CONTINUITY TO THE HONG KONG SHIPPING COMMUNITY.
ADDITIONALLY. A SUCCESSFUL HONG KONG REGISTER SHOULD ENCOURAGE REPATRIATION OF AT LEAST SOME HONG KONG BENEFICIALLY-OWNED TONNAGE. HONG KONG SHIPOWNERS OWNED SOME 35 MILLION GROSS REGISTERED TONNAGE.
'REPATRIATION OF EVEN A SMALL PERCENTAGE WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT BOOST TO THE REGISTER AND WOULD GIVE HONG KONG A LARGER VOICE IN THE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ARENA THAN AT PRESENT, MR HIGGINSON SAID.
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