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Merchant Shipping (Liner Conferences) Bill

Following is the speech by the acting Secretary for Economic Services, Mrs Elizabeth Bosher, at the committee stage of the Merchant Shipping (Liner Conferences) Bill in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I move that the clauses specified be amended as set out in the paper circulated to Members.

Members will recall that the Merchant Shipping (Liner Conferences) Bill is part of our on-going exercise to localise UK legislation applying to Hong Kong so that the existing system of laws will continue after 1997. The Bill will implement in Hong Kong legislation the Convention on the Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences. The Code establishes rules designed to ensure a balance of interests between suppliers and users of liner shipping services; to avoid discrimination against shipowners and shippers of the foreign trade of any country; and to ensure transparency of information to interested parties.

All the proposed amendments are changes to the Chinese text to remove possible discrepancies in meaning between the two texts of the Bill.

Mr Chairman, the Merchant Shipping (Liner Conferences) Bill is the last major localisation exercise in respect of merchant shipping legislation. Subject to Members' approval today, we will substantially completed the localisation of the whole body of maritime law, barring some minor tidying up and adaptation work. This is a most significant achievement for shipping and is crucial to Hong Kong's economy. We are the world's eighth largest trading economy: some 90 per cent of that trade is handled through the port. We must ensure the present successful system of shipping regulation can continue beyond 1997, as enshrined in the Joint Declaration. This exercise will help achieve this.

It has been five years since the enactment of the first item of localised shipping legislation. Looking back, the process has been painstaking and at times arduous. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Members for their contribution to the completion of this programme.

Mr President, I beg to move,

End/Wednesday, July 12, 1995