XN000022-1978-03-02 — Page 7

THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1976

+THE GREATEST PROBLEM LIES IN THE SHORTAGE OF STAFF AT THE WORKS SUPERVISOR LEVEL.+

DR. NIP POINTED OUT THAT AT PRESENT ONLY 66 PER CENT OF THE WORKS SUPERVISOR POSTS WERE FILLED.

HE SAID THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE +WE DEPEND ON THEM FOR WALK ING AND INSPECTING EVERY PART OF THE ROAD SYSTEM AND FOR REPORTING WHATEVER DEFECTS THAT MAY EXIST AND FINALLY IN OVERSEEING THAT REMEDIAL WORKS ARE CARRIED OUT PROPERLY.+

IN THIS RESPECT, DR. NIP CALLED ON THOSE PRESENT TO ASSIST BY REPORTING ANYTHING ABOUT HIGHWAYS WHICH DO NOT APPEAR PROPER+.

THIS CAN BE DONE EITHER BY WRITING TO THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, OR BY TELEPHONING THE COMPLAINTS OFFICER, MR. JOHN DODWELL, AT 5-244744.

BUSY YEAR FOR HONG KONG PORT IN 1977

******

A TOTAL OF 23.8 MILLION TONNES OF CARGO WERE HANDLED THROUGH THE PORT CF HONG KONG LAST YEAR - AN INCREASE OF ABCUT 11.2 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT TODAY,

CONTAINER ISED CARGO REPRESENTED 48.9 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL CARGO TONNAGE DISCHARGED AND LOADED LAST YEAR, COMPARED WITH 44.6 PER CENT IN 1976.

IN TERMS OF T.E.U.S (TWENTY FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS) TOTAL CONTAINER THROUGHPUT WAS 1.26 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 22.3 PER CENT OVER THE 1976 THROUGHPUT OF 1.03 MILLION T.E.U.S.

THE STATISTICS ALSO SHOWED THAT 8,916 OCEAN-GOING VESSELS WITH A COMBINED KET TONAGE OF 42.0 MILLION ARRIVED HERE IN 1977, AS COMPARED WITH 8,071 IN 1976.

RIVER TRADE (MAINLY DETHEEK HONG KONG AND MACAU) SHOWED A SLIGHT INCREASE IN 1977 ITH 71,432 VESSELS OF 11.6 MILLIC. NET TONS ENTER 110 AND CLEARING, COMPARED WITH 70,823 VESSELS OF 11,4 MILLICH NET TORS THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

CARGO FROM THE RIVER TRADE THAT WAS LOADED AND DISCHARGED HERE AMOUNTED TO 1.8 MILLION TONS, SLIGHTLY MORE THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS TRAVELLING TO AND FROM MACAU INCREASED BY ABOUT TEN PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR TC 5.1 MILLION.

17