XN000022-1993-07-07 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1993

MEMBERS WERE TOLD THAT HONG KONG WAS THE BUSIEST CONTAINER PORT IN THE WORLD, HANDLING 7.97 MILLION 20-FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS (TEU'S) IN 1992.

IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE BUSIEST WORLD PORTS IN TERMS OF VESSEL ARRIVALS AND CARGO AND PASSENGER THROUGHPUT.

JOINED BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR GORDAN SIU AND THE SECRETARY, PORT DEVELOPMENT BOARD, MR TONY CLARK, THE PARTY THEN BOARDED THE LAUNCH "TIN HAU" TO SEE PORT FACILITIES FOR THEMSELVES, AND TO BE BRIEFED ON THE CURRENT AND PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS.

THE PORT DEVELOPMENT BOARD WAS SET UP IN 1990 ΤΟ KEEP DEVELOPMENT PLANS UP-TO-DATE AND TO ACT AS A LINK BETWEEN THE PRIVATE

AND GOVERNMENT BODIES INVOLVED.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD ADVISES THE GOVERNOR, THROUGH THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, ON ALL ASPECTS OF PORT PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

EN ROUTE, MEMBERS SAW THE BUSY ACTIVITIES AT THE EXISTING CONTAINER TERMINALS AND THE SOON-TO-BE-COMPLETED TERMINAL A IN STONECUTTERS ISLAND THE FIRST OF ITS FOUR HERTHS WILL COME INTO OPERATION NEXT MONTH.

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THEY LEARNT THAT OVERALL PORT TRAFFIC IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE GROW BY ABOUT 6.5 PER CENT A YEAR BETWEEN NOW AND 2011 WHEN TOTAL THROUGHPUT WILL REACH 284.2 MILLION TONNES.

ΤΟ

TO MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF HONG KONG AND CHINA, THE TERRITORY NEEDS A BIGGER PORT WITH A MUCH GREATER CAPACITY AND ROOM TO EXPAND.

BY

MEMBERS THEN ALIGHTED AT BERTH 5 OF MTL WHERE THEY WERE MET THE CHAIRMAN, MR DAVID GLEDHILL AND THE MANAGING DIRECTOR, MR MARK LEESE.

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THEY WERE TAKEN TO THE CONTROL ROOM FOR A BRIEFING ON TERMINAL OPERATIONS AND KWAI CHUNG CONTAINER PORT DEVELOPMENT.

MR MARK LEESE TOLD MEMBERS THAT MTL OPENED HONG KONG'S FIRST CONTAINER TERMINAL IN 1972.

"SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE HONG RONG CONTAINER PORT'S GROWTH INTO THE WORLD'S BUSIEST CONTAINER FACILITY, HANDING 1.67 MILLION OF THE TERRITORY'S TOTAL CONTAINER THROUGHPUT, HE SAID.

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MR LEESE EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE CONTINUED DELAYS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED ΤΟ ON STREAM IN MLD 1995. IT WOULD HAVE FOUR BERTHS WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY OF 1.6 MILLION TEUS A YEAR.

COME

MTL IS A PRIVATE COMPANY WITH SHAREHOLDERS REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF INTERNATIONAL INTEREST GROUPS, INCLUDING USER SHIPPING LINES, HONG KONG AND PRC CORPORATIONS.

THE PARTY THEN JOINED THE REST OF THE MTL, MANAGEMENT FOR LUNCH BEFORE EMBARKING ON THEIR RETURN JOURNEY.

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