HONG
KONG
STANDARD
AUGUST
17** 73
Way cleared for registry of world's 6th largest fleet
2112.
HK TO BE MERCHANT SEA POWER
THE British Government has opened the door for Hongkong to establish an autonomous shipping registry, thus paving the way for the Colony to become one of the world's Ingest maritime powers.
Reliable sources told the Standard yesterday that a breakthrough has been achieved in 20-month-long negotiations between the Hongkong and London governments on the registry issue with a British compromise that would allow Colony-registered ships to sail with a British captain in command of non-British officers rather than a totally British officer staff As previously required.
The settlement will noW make it feasible for Colony owners who control more than 20 million deadweight tops of shipping NOW plying the world's oceans, but registered mostly in Liherla and Panama, to twist the Hongkong flag.
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Registration in the of these vesselt would give Hongkong the sixth largest merchant ft in the world and the arcond biggest in the bar Fast after Japan's.
The SOUICE said Marine Department Director A. Fletcher will go to Britain showfly to finalise details for the two to three-year task of setting up a registry which will involve drawing up regulations and. most importantly, recruiting staff.
REPORT
by
Peter Kwok, Kenneth Chu
Hongkong's shipowners and the Government itself are determined to establish the institution, hoping not only to meet the needs of ships to be registered here in the future but who to fill vacancies in other countries.
Hongkong shipping magnate Y.K. Pao, now the world's largest private chip ownCI, without minintising the problems involved, last year made
strong call for establishment of Rn autonomous Bongbong registry. He said one of the most important benefits to be reaped would be the incentives and opportunities for the Colony's youth to take up sophisticated and highly technical careers now lacking in the Colony.
Owners
in addition, he said. although Hongkong is abeady a maritine power in the sente But the source also revealed
that five per cent of world that preparations are already
shipping is controlled by sonder way to establish a
here. most top
of the toviqctional school at the fonnage is not identifiable with Hongkong Polytechnic and that
the Colony and gives added weight to Capten G.W. Wakelord, one of
other countries' The world's top
statistics. sea school authorities who helped Britain mric!
Japan set
major up institutions, spent several weeks her list morth studying the situation for the Government,
Mi Wakeford submitted # Emport on the Polytechnic popol, the source said, and
With #D autonom (US Hongkong registry, "those 20-odd million tons of ships would not be at tient as now," he sakl, and "could, and presumably would sprak with a fairly loud voice" in international conventions to guarantee the Colony's owNGES
and seamen a Ink deal
Mr Pao mentioned many administrative and financial challenges that a registry would
but expressed present,
the conviction that they all could be met.
FEES
The 10urce told the Standard yesterday that Hongkong will Wkely charge slightly cheaper #gbtention fees than are now assessed by Liberia $6 æ øet ton að1 50 cents Act ton each yett thereafter.
But he said peelstration nie all Hongkong-owned shipping would mean immediate revenue of $120 milion and at least $10 milion annually,
The most immediate challenge, he said, will be crew training and recruitirent.
Under the previous regulations, a ship 'flying the Hongkong British flag bad to have British certifiented: officers and, in addition, the senior officers, captain, chief officer, chief engineer, second engineer and radio offices had to be Prith or Commonwealth country
nationals
In late July this year, negotiations reached the point where Britain serred to requiring that only the captain and one of the serior officers be British.
The final agreemeet reguling only # British of Commonwealth national captain, a requirement shared by
Commonwealth countries.
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