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Cargo working areas operating costs to be lower
The management reform to be introduced by the Marine Department at the public cargo working areas (PCWAS) is not designed as a fee increase measure nor will it lead to a rise in operating costs, the Assistant Director of Marine (Planning and Local Services), Mr Raymond Tang, said today (Thursday).
Briefing the Legislative Council members on the reform package this afternoon, Mr Tang reiterated that the reform was seek to improve the productivity at PCWAS and to remove the undesirable practices that associated with the existing mode of operation.
All berthing spaces in nine PCWAS managed by the Marine Department will be leased out by restricted tender under the management reform package instead of the current practice to hire out the berths each day on a first-come-first-served basis.
Some participants at today's briefing as well as some operators at PCWAS believed that the operating costs will increase if the berthing spaces are leased by
tender.
Mr Tang assured that the operating costs would be lower.
"The operators, as any businessmen, are naturally concerned about a rise in their costs," he said.
"We have incorporated measures to safeguard the interests of the existing operators in the new management system.
"The existing system is built on a first-come-first-served basis and under the current system an operator has to hire idle barges up to three each day in order to secure a berth.
"If he fails to mobilise a fleet of empty barges for the sole purpose of occupying a berth, he has to turn to those who are able to do so and of course at a price.
"The level of subletting fees is decided entirely by those who have secured berthing spaces and the subletting or black market fees are very costly and up to 40 times of the government fees."