5
LON
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1987
"FOR THE FUTURE REGISTER, CONSIDERATION WIEL REQUIRE TO BE GIVEN TO WHETHER OR NOT HONG KONG COMMITTEES WILL BE REQUIRED, OR WHETHER A MORE INFORMAL SYSTEM MIGHT SUFFICE.
"IT IS.
FOR
EXAMPLE, BEING SUGGESTED THAT NATIONAL CLASSIFICATION SOCIETIES WITH SUBSTANTIAL PERMANENT OFFICES IN HONG KONG MIGHT BE AUTHORISED," MR HIGGINSON SAID, ADDING THAT ACCOUNT HAD ALSO TO BE TAKEN IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG OF THE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION WHICH WOULD APPLY TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CLASSIFICATION SOCIETY AFTER 1997.
CHINA'S
THE NEW POSSIBLE
MR HIGGINSON SAID THE STATED INTENTION WAS TO HAVE HONG KONG REGISTER IN OPERATION BY 1990
OR AS SOON AS THEREAFTER. "TO ACHIEVE THIS, WE NEED URGENTLY TO DEVELOP DETAILED PROPOSALS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW REGISTER.
"
THESE PROPOSALS, WHICH SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE PRINCIPLES AGREED BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA, WILL INCLUDE, INTER ALIA, THE PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION OF THE REGISTER; QUALIFICATIONS FOR OWNING SHIPS ON THE REGISTER; METHODS BY WHICH THE MARITIME ADMINISTRATION CAN FULFIL ITS OBLIGATION IN REGARD ΤΟ INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS, CODE OF PRACTICE ETC.; MEASURES FOR THE EXERCISE OF WORLDWIDE JURISDICTION OVER SHIPS ON THE REGISTER; FINANCING; AND THE TAXATION OF SHIPPING AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE TAXATION SYSTEM TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
MR HIGGINSON SAID THAT TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE NECESSARY STEERING GROUP, THE COMMITTEES AND THE WORKING GROUPS HAD BEEN SET UP.
"THESE GROUPS CONTAIN, AS NECESSARY, REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL SECTORS OF THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY INCLUDING THE UNIONS, HE ADDED.
MR HIGGINSON ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS MUCH WORK YET TO BE DONE AND THAT THE TIMETABLE MIGHT, AT FIRST SIGHT, SEEM LENGTHY COMPARED WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NORWEGIAN INTERNATIONAL SHIP REGISTRY.
"BUT LET IT NOT BE FORGOTTEN THAT WE ARE NOT A FLAG STATE. OUR PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE HAVE TO BE AGREED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND MUST BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
"SO OUR SYSTEM OF CONSULTATION AND OF SEEKING APPROVAL WILL BR MUCH MORE COMPLEX AND TIME CONSUMING THAN IF WE WERE AN INDEPENDENT MARITIME ADMINISTRATION.
+1
OF HONG KONG TO THAT THE
WHILE NOTING THAT IT WAS NOT THE INTENTION "POACH" SHIPPING FROM OTHER REGISTERS, MR HIGGINSON FORESAW HONG KONG REGISTER WOULD RE ATTRACTIVE TO MANY SHIPOWNERS, BOTH WORLDWIDE AND IN ASIA.
/HE POINTED