XN000022-1995-06-21 — Page 12

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Container throughput on the increase

In the first two months of this year, the container terminal operators together with their counterparts in the mid-stream and river trade sectors handled more than 1.6 million TEUS (twenty foot equivalent units), 13.3 per cent more than the same period last year, the acting Director of Marine, Mr S Y Tsui, said today (Wednesday).

Speaking at a ceremony to welcome the arrival of a container vessel, the M V Neptune Sardonyx, on her maiden voyage to Hong Kong, Mr Tsui said the increases reflected the port's efficiency and underlined its hub port status.

Capable of carrying 4,400 TEUs, the Neptune Sardonyx, berthed at the Hongkong International Terminals in Kwai Chung about 11 pm yesterday. She completed her cargo work and set sail for Singapore about 2 pm today.

Mr Tsui noted that the container terminal operators at Kwai Chung and on Stonecutters Island handled 1.14 million TEUs in the first two months of this year, representing an increase of 18.8 per cent over the same period last year.

"While the handling capacity by the mid-stream operators during the first two months of this year maintained at the same level as the corresponding period last year, the river trade operators handled 135,000 TEUS in January and February this year, about 10 per cent more than their records for the same period last year," Mr Tsui said.

The 53,519 gross registered ton Neptune Sardonyx commenced her services on June 13 and arrived from Kaoshiung last night.

End/Wednesday, June 21, 1995

Pilot scheme on school-based drug education course

Twenty secondary schools will participate in a pilot scheme on school-based drug education course in the first half of the 1995-96 school year.

A spokesman for the Education Department said: "This pilot scheme is one of the initiatives taken by the department to promote anti-drug preventive education in support of the pledge made by the Governor in the summit meeting in March."