WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1986
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SWISS GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES BN(0) PASSPORT
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THE CONSUL-GENERAL OF SWITZERLAND HAS INFORMED THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT THE SWISS GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO RECOGNISE THE NEW BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) STATUS AND THE PASSPORT THAT GOES WITH IT. HOLDERS OF BN(0) PASSPORTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO ENTER SWITZERLAND WITHOUT VISAS.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT VERY MUCH WELCOMED THIS RESPONSE BY THE SWISS GOVERNMENT. THE SWISS GOVERNMENT WAS IN FACT THE FIRST GOVERNMENT FORMALLY TO RECOGNISE THE NEW PASSPORT WHICH WOULD BE AVAILABLE AS FROM JULY 1, 1987.
HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD SOON ALSO BE ANNOUNCING THAT THEY WOULD RECOGNISE IT.
RADAR SYSTEM TO MONITOR MARINE TRAFFIC
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A NETWORK OF RADAR STATIONS WILL BE SET UP AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS TO COVER MARINE TRAFFIC LANES FOLLOWING THE SIGNING TODAY (WEDNESDAY) OF A CONTRACT TO INSTALL AND COMMISSION A VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (VTMS).
COUPLED WITH COMPUTERS AND VERY HIGH FREQUENCY COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, THE VTMS WILL BE ABLE TO MONITOR AND CONTROL VESSEL MOVEMENTS CONTINUOUSLY TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW, WHICH HAS QUADRUPLED IN THE PAST 20 YEARS IN CERTAIN AREAS.
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+ IN 1985 AN AVERAGE OF 2 229 OCEAN-GOING VESSELS ENTERED AND DEPARTED FROM THE PORT EACH MONTH AND THIS NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY FOUR PER CENT ANNUALLY, + A MARINE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.
+RIVER TRADE CRAFT AND INTERNATIONAL FERRY TRAFFIC HAS ALSO GROWN, WITH ABOUT 13 660 MOVEMENTS A MONTH IN 1985.
+ADDITIONALLY, THE ANNUAL CARGO THROUGHPUT IS ANTICIPATED
TO REACH 72 MILLION TONNES BY 1997.
+1N ORDER TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S ATTRACTIVENESS AS AN INTERNATIONAL TRADING PORT, IN ADDITION TO THE NEED TO MAINTAIN AN ACCEPTABLE SAFETY LEVEL IT IS NECESSARY TO MAXIMISE THE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF THE PORT, TO MINIMISE CONGESTION AND DELAYS AND AVOID INEFFECTIVE UTILISATION OF EXISTING FACILITIES,+
JA VIHE