XN000022-1996-07-03 — Page 7

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Public cargo areas revised tender arrangement rejected

The Marine Department has expressed its disappointment over cargo operators' objection to a revised arrangement for tendering berths of the Public Cargo Working Areas (PCWAs).

After careful studies of the views expressed by some cargo operators, the Marine Department revised the tender arrangement to incorporate a regionalised element.

The nine PCWAs in the territory are either grouped in Region 1 or Region 2 according to their geographical locations. Those locate in the eastern part of the territory are grouped in Region 1 and the rest, in the western part, in Region 2.

Operators whose operations are normally based in PCWAS in the eastern part of the territory are allowed to bid for berths of PCWAs grouped in Region 1 while those in the eastern part in Region 2.

The PCWAS in Cha Kwo Ling, Kwun Tong, Chai Wan and Wan Chai are grouped into Region 1 and those in the Rambler Channel, Tsuen Wan, Western, Sheung Wan and Yau Ma Tei in Region 2.

"The regional restriction is intended to remove the unwarranted worries of some operators that they may be forced to work their cargo in another district if they are allowed to bid for a berth in any one of the nine PCWAs as in the previous proposal," the Assistant Director of Marine (Planning and Local Services), Mr Raymond Tang, said today (Wednesday).

"The cargo handling/transportation business is a mobile business. Relocation to another district within the small confine of Hong Kong should not cause them any operational problem."

Representatives from the cargo operators associations were informed of the new proposed arrangement at a meeting chaired by Mr Tang this afternoon.

Mr Tang assured them that no operator would be forced out of business be it under the previous arrangement or the latest proposed system.

"We have built-in measures to safeguard the interests of the existing operators. Fine-tuning the arrangement is only for the purpose of putting the operators' mind at ease," Mr Tang said.