XN000022-1978-12-04 — Page 3

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1978

MR. ALEXANDER SAID THE KEY THESE DAYS WAS THAT PLANNING SHOULD BE CONTINUOUS.

ALTHOUGH THE DECISION TO INTRODUCE A PARTICULAR SERVICE LAY ENTIRELY WITH THE SHIPOWNER, AND WAS BASED ON ECONOMICS OF OPERATION, AN ENTERPRISING PORT AUTHORITY MUST BE ALERT TO CHANGE.

+ IT MUST, HE SAID, +BE AWARE OF THE ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL PRESSURES WHICH CAUSE CHANGE AND, INDEED, IT MUST FREQUENTLY ANTICIPATE CHANGE BEFORE IT OCCURS, FOR PORT INSTALLATIONS MUST BE VERY CAREFULLY PLANNED AND DESIGNED.→

THEY WERE EXPENSIVE AND TOOK A LONG TIME TO BUILD, AND THERE WAS USUALLY A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD BETWEEN CONCEPTION AND FULF ILLMENT.

MR. ALEXANDER SAID THE DELEGATES WOULD OBSERVE THAT IN HONG KONG, DESPITE THE ADVENT OF CONTAINER ISATION, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CARGO MOVING THROUGH THE PORT WAS STILL HANDLED, AT ONE STAGE OR ANOTHER, BY CONVENTIONAL OR TRADITIONAL MEANS.

IN THE MAIN, IT WAS HANDLED IN BREAKBULK FORM AND TRANSPORTED BY BARGE AND LORRY. IT FOLLOWED THAT THE EFFICIENT AND RAPID MOVEMENT OF THIS CARGO WAS VITAL IF HANDLING COSTS WERE TO BE MINIMISED.

+TO ACHIEVE THIS AIM,+ MR. ALEXANDER SAID, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED UPON A PROGRAMME THAT CALLS FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF CONTROL MEASURES AT PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS, SO AS TO MAXIMISE THE USE OF SEAWALLS, INCREASE THROUGHPUT RATES, REDUCE CARGO HANDLING COSTS AND ALLEVIATE ROAD TRAFFIC CONGESTIÓN.+

THE MAIN OBJECT OF THE SEMINAR, WHICH IS ENTITLED +PLANNING FOR CHANGE UNIT LOADS IN ESCAP PORTS+, IS TO PROVIDE A FORUM TO DISCUSS PLANNING TECHNIQUES FOR INTRODUCING UNIT LOADS AND CONTAINER ISATION INTO PORTS. PARTICIPANTS ARE MAINLY PERSONNEL IN GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES AND ORGANISATIONS ENGAGED IN PLANNING OR DIRECTING OPERATIONS OF UNIT LOAD BERTHS AND TERMINALS.

BESIDES MR. ALEXANDER, OTHER OFFICIALS AT THE OPENING CEREMONY THIS MORNING WERE MR. R.H. GONTHA, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ESCAP, AND MR. B.T. AUGDHAL, NORWEGIAN CONSUL-GENERAL.

NINE EXPERTS FROM OVERSEAS WILL GIVE LECTURES AND LEAD DISCUSSIONS DURING THE SEMINAR, INCLUDING STAFF OF ESCAP. THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD), THE INSTITUTE OF SHIPPING ECONOMICS, BREMEN, THE NATIONAL PORTS COUNCIL, LONDON, AND THE FIJI PORTS AUTHORITY. SEVERAL LOCAL EXPERTS WILL ALSO TAKE PART.

THE DELEGATES WILL ALSO VISIT CONTAINER TERMINALS AND CONTAINER FREIGHT STATIONS.

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