XN000022-1977-10-23 — Page 7

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1977

CONTAINERS CAPTURE PORT TRAFFIC

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IN ONLY EIGHT YEARS HONG KONG'S THROUGHPUT OF CONTAINERS HAS INCREASED FROM 1,000 TO 85,000 A MONTH ACCORDING TO NEWLY-PUBLISHED BOOK +THE PORT OF HONG KONG+.

THE BOOK SAYS THAT THE FIRST FULLY-CONTAINERISED SCHEDULED SERVICE TO HONG KONG WAS INTRODUCED IN 1969 WHEN THE FIRST CONTAINER TERMINAL WAS SET UP IN KOWLOON.

IN THAT YEAR ONLY 1,000 TWENTY-FOOT EQUIVALENT CONTAINERS WERE HANDLED IN AN AVERAGE MONTH. TODAY 85,000 CONTAINERS A MONTH ARE HANDLED BY FIVE TERMINALS AT KWAI CHUNG AND BY THREE TERMINALS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE HARBOUR.

ACCORDING TO A CHART IN THE BOOK MORE THAN A MILLION

TWENTY-FOOT EQUIVALENT CONTAINER UNITS WERE HANDLED DURING 1976.

+ THE PORT OF HONG KONG+ AIMS TO GIVE A FULL DESCRIPTION IN WORDS AND COLOUR PICTURES OF THE MANY PORT FACILITIES OFFERED AND IT IS AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE AND LEADING BOOKSHOPS AT $10 PER COPY.

HONG KONG RANKS THE 18TH AMONG THE EXPORTING NATIONS AND TERRITORIES OF THE WORLD AND ITS PORT HANDLED ABOUT 90 PER CENT OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS LAST YEAR VALUED AT HK$32,630 MILLION.

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+HONG KONG'S STRATEGIC LOCATION ON THE FAR EASTERN TRADE ROUTES STILL REMAINS THE KEY TO ITS PROSPERITY. IT IS ALSO IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL CENTRE OF THE FAST-DEVELOPING ASIA-PACIFIC BASIN REGION AND HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF THE MOST-MODERN, WORLDWIDE, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, + SAYS THE BOOK.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF THE PORT LIES WITH THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE. ALTHOUGH HIS DUTIES ARE WIDE, AND INCLUDE THE MAINTENANCE OF SAFETY STANDARDS, NAVIGATIONAL AIDS, MOORING BUOYS AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS, THE MARINE DEPARTMENT NEITHER CONTROLS OR OPERATES ANY OF THE OCEAN SHIPPING ALONGSIDE BERTHING FACILITIES, NOR THE TRANS IST SHEDS OR WAREHOUSES ASSOCIATED. THESE ARE ALL IN THE HANDS OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

+WITH ITS CHARGES, WHICH ARE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD, THE PORT OF HONG KONG HAS ACHIEVED, THROUGH ITS EXPERIENCES IN THE PAST 130 YEARS, AN IDEAL BALANCE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT CONTROL AND PRIVATE INITIATIVE,+ SAYS THE BOOK.

THE MARINE DEPARTMENT AND THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAVE COLLABORATED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE BOOK AND THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN OF GREAT ASSISTANCE.

IN ADDITION TO THE DETAILS OF THE PORT'S PRESENT DAY OPERATION, THE BOOK ALSO CONTAINS A SERIES OF HISTORICAL NOTES AND

ILLUSTRATIONS.

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