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yol. XXIV
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tr
No. 225
H.K STANDARD 1'4 August
Way cleared for registry of world's 6th largest fleet
THE INDIPENDEL
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 largest 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 tons
of shipping now plying the world's oceans, but registered mostly in Liberia and Panama, 10 hoist the Hongkong flag.
the
Registration in Colony of these vessels alone would give Hongkong the sixth largest merchant fleet in the world and the second biggest in the Far East after Japan's.
SOUTCO
The
said Marine Director A. Department Fletcher will go
Britain to shortly to finalise details for the two to three-year task of setting up a registry witich will involve drawing op regulations and, mest importantly, recruiting staff.
REPORT
But the source also revealed that preparations are already valer way to establish a top
Horloge Polytechnic and that Captain G.W. Walcord, one of the world's top Ma school authoritie, who helped Brit.in
Jajan
up inggor institutions Mat several weeks hure last month studying tl.c citution for the Government.
by
Peter Kwok, Kenneth Chu
are
Hongkong's shipowners and the Government itself determined 10 establish the institution, hoping not only to meet the needs of ships to be registered here in the future but also to vacancies in other cookies.
Hongkong shipping magnate Y.K. Puo, now the world's largest private ship owner, without minimising the problems involved, last year made 3
call sương
for οι establishment
An autonomous longkong registry. He raid one of the most important berellis to be reaped would be the incentives and opportunities for the Colony's youth to take up tophisticated and highly technical careers now lacking in the Colony,
In addition, he said, akhough Hongkong is altesdy a maritius power in the kenne that five per cent of world by diping
Controlled 25
the owners here, RAI fonaye is not Mentifiable with the Colony and gives alled 10 other countries"
Statistics.
of
With an autonomous Hongkong registry, **diose 20 odd mdhe tons of ships would not be as silent as now,
sant,
"could, andi -presumably would speak with a fairly loud voice" in conventiont 10 jented the Colony's owners
Mr Walford submitted a
Da Polytechnic antenationel jepot proposal, the soruce said, and
and seamen a fair deal
Mr Pao mentioned. many administrative and financial challenges that a registry would the but expressed present, conviction that they all could be met.
FEES
the
The source told Standard yesterday that Hongkong will likely charge Mighty cheaper registration feca than to now assessed by Liberia $6 a net ton and 50 cents A net ton each year thereafter.
But he said registration of all Hongkong-owned sidpping would mean immediate reverate of $120 saillion and at least $10 million annually.
The most immediate challenge, he said, will be erew training and recruitment.
Under the previous regulations, a ship dying the Hongkong Britisk Nag had to have British certifiented officers and, in addition, the senior officers, captain, Kael officer, chief engineer, second engineer and radio officer had
be Brkish or country
10
Commonwealth
national
year,
to
lute Judy negotiation reached the point where Britain priced requiring that only the captain and ond of the senior officers Ve British
The final agreement requires only 1 British 01 Commonwealth national captain, a requirement shared by all Commonwealth
countries.
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