XN000022-1994-04-26 — Page 7

TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 1994

HK REGISTERED SHIPS CHALK UP 8 MILLION TONS

THE

TOTAL GROSS TONNAGE OF THE HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER BROKE THE BIGHT MELLION MARK WITH THE LATEST ADDITION OF A 28,892- GROSS-TON CONTAINER SHIP LAST WEEK, THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, MR ALLAN PYRKE, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

"THIS SHOWS OUR AIM OF SETTING UP A QUALITY REGISTER IS SUPPORTED BY

LOCAL AND OVERSEAS SHIPOWNERS WHO WILL NOT TRADE OFF QUALITY BY A LOWERING OF SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, MR PYRKB SAID.

THE HONG RONG SHIPPING REGISTER, ADMINISTERED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, NOW HAS 600 SHIPS AND A TOTAL GROSS TONNAGE OF 8,012,072, 1.5 MILLION GROSS TONS MORE THAN AT INCEPTION ON DECEMBER 3,

1990.

CONTAINER

THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE REGISTER IS THE 195-METRE SHIP "TRADE SOL" BUILT IN FLENSBURG, GERMANY IN 1993. THE SHIP 18 OWNED BY TRADE SOL SHIPPING LIMITED.

TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR SHIPS IN 1997, WHEN HONG KONG PASSES PROM BRITISH TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, HONG KONG ESTABLISHED ITS OWN REGISTER LESS THAN FOUR YEARS AGO TO REPLACE THE OLD REGISTER WHICH WAS PART OF THE BRITISH REGISTER.

MR PYRKE STRESSED THAT HONG KONG WAS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING A

PREVENTION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS STIPULATED IN INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANISATION AND INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION CONVENTIONS.

HIGH QUALITY REGISTER WITH NO COMPROMISE ON SAFETY, POLLUTION

"WE ARE LOOKING FOR QUALITY TONNAGE

COMPROMISE ON STANDARDS OF SAFETY, HE SAID.

THERE CANNOT BE ANY

MR PYRKE SAID THE SHIPPING REGISTER TARGETED A MARKET COMPRISING REPUTABLE HONG KONG-OWNED SHIPS AND ANY OTHERS LOOKING FOR A RELIABLE AND RESPONSIBLE INTERNATIONAL REGISTER.

BY A

OUR REGISTER HAS HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL BACK-UP AND IS OPERATED MARITIME ADMINISTRATION THAT IS RESPONSIBLE AND ACTIVE

THE

IN

INTERNATIONAL ARENA.

"SHIPOWNERS FIND OUR REGISTER VALUK FOR MONEY AS FEES ARE SKT AT A LEVEL SIMPLY TO RECOVER COSTS, THERE ARE NO HIDDEN CHARGES, MR PYRKE SAID.

INCREASED USER-FRIENDLINESS AND MINIMUM BUREAUCRACY WERE VALUR- ADDED FEATURES THAT SHIPOWNERS APPRECIATED, HE SAID.

NINE OTHER SHIPS WITH A TOTAL GROSS TONNAGE OF 80,240.5 ARE THE PROCESS OF JOINING THE HONG KONG SHIPPING REGISTER.

IN

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