XN000022-1994-02-16 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1994

HUGE GROWTH PREDICTED FOR HK'S PORT

A MASSIVE 300 PER CENT INCREASE IN CARGO THROUGHPUT

BY 2011 UNDERLINES HONG KONG'S URGENT NEED FOR A NEW PORT.

PREDICTED

THAT WAS THE CONCLUSION OF THE PORT DEVELOPMENT BOARD (PDB) WHEN IT ACCEPTED PORT CARGO FORECASTS PRESENTED ΤΟ A FULL BOARD MEETING TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE FORECASTS SHOW THAT THE DEMAND FOR CONTAINER HANDLING FACILITES IN HONG KONG WILL INCREASE MORE THAN THREEFOLD IN THE PERIOD TO 2011.

TO

IN TERMS OF NUMBERS CONTAINER THROUGHPUT CAN BE EXPECTED INCREASE FROM NINE MILLION TWENTY-FOOT EQUIVALENT UNITS LAST YEAR ΤΟ NEARLY 32 MILLION BY 2011.

OVERALL CARGO HANDLED BY THE PORT WILL INCREASE FROM 116 MILLION TONNES IN 1993 TO NEARLY 350 MILLION TONNES BY 2011.

TO COPE WITH THE INCREASE, UP TO 25 NEW CONTAINER BERTHS NEED TO BE BUILT AT LANTAU PORT. THESE WILL BE SITED AT A NEW EXTENDING SOUTH FROM PENNY'S BAY ON LANTAU.

WILL

PORT

PORT

THE BOARD PROJECTS THE NEED FOR THE FIRST BERTH OF LANTAU TO BEGIN OPERATIONS IN MID-1997 WHEN THE TSING MA BRIDGE WILL OPEN. THE BRIDGE WILL PROVIDE ROAD ACCESS TO THE NEW PORT AND CHEK LAP КОК AIRPORT.

THE PORT CARGO FORECASTS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD ARE THE RESULT OF A BIANNUAL EXERCISE CARRIED OUT BY THE PORT DEVELOPMENT BOARD SECRETARIAT WITH THE HELP OF CONSULTANTS.

IN

THE FORECASTS SHOW THE EFFECT THE TREMENDOUS GROWTH SOUTHERN CHINA'S ECONOMY HAS HAD ON HONG KONG'S PORT, HELPING IT RETAIN THE TITLE OF WORLD'S BUSIEST CONTAINER PORT.

WITH HONG KONG'S ECONOMY SWITCHING FROM MANUFACTURING TO SERVICE INDUSTRIES, THE PORT IS PLAYING AN INCREASING PART IN HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. EACH CONTAINER HANDLED ADDS SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY.

BETWEEN 1983 AND 1992 TOTAL PORT TRAFFIC GREW BY 11.9 PER CENT A YEAR. THE FORECASTS PREDICT A 6.7 PER CENT ANNUAL GROWTH FROM TO 2011. AN INCREASED TREND TOWARDS CONTAINERISATION WILL CONTAINER THROUGHPUT GROW BY 7.6 PER CENT IN THE SAME PERIOD.

1992

SEE

IN PREPARING THE FORECASTS THE PDB TEAM TOOK NOTE OF:

* POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA AND HONG KONG;

* REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRENDS;

* HONG KONG'S FUTURE ROLE AS AN ENTREPOT AND TRANSHIPMENT HUB;

* POTENTIAL COMPETITION FROM PORT FACILITIES IN THE REGION,

ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN CHINA HINTERLAND;

* TRENDS IN CONTAINERISATION;