ol. XXIV No. 225
H.K STWARD 1'1 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.
now
The settlement will now make it feasible for Colony owners who control more than 20 million deadweight tons of shipping plying the world's oceans, but registered mostly in Liberia and Panama, to hoist the Hongkong flag.
Registration in the Colony of these vessels alone would give Hongkong the sixth largest merchant flect in the world and the second biggest in the Far East after Japan's.
The SOUICC said Marine Department Director
A. Fletcher will go to Britain shortly to finalise details for the two to three-year task of setting up a registry which wil involve drawing up regulations and, most importantly, recruiting staff.
REPORT
But the source also revealed that preparations are already under way to establish a top navigational school at the Horghon, Polytechnic and that Captain G.W. Wakeford, one of
world's top
school authorities who helped Britain an! Japan Not Up major institutions, visit several weeks hire Lt month stalying the ditation for the Government.
the
Sea
.
by Peter Kwok, Kenneth Chu
arc the
Hongkong's shipowners and the Government itself determined to establish institution, hoping not only to meet the needs of ships to be registered here in the future but also to fill vacancies in othin somnules.
Hongkong shipping magnatc Y.K. Pao, now the world's largest private ship owner, without minimising the problems involved, last year made 3 strong call for establishment of an autonomous Hongkong registry.
He raid 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 careCIS now lacking in the Colony.
18
In addition, he said, although Hongkong is already a maritimac power in the sense that five per cent of world
controlled shipping
by owners here, moit of thic fonnage is not identifiable with the Colony and gives added weight 10 other countries' statistics.
With an autonomous Hongkong registry, "those 20-odd million" tons of ships would not be as silent as now,' he said, and "Could, and presumably would s; tak with a Mr Wakeford submitted a fairly loud voice" in report on the Polytechnic international conventions Progeval, the source said, and
prizzantee the Colony's owners
to
and scamen a fair deal
Mr Pao mentioned many administrative' and financial challenges that a registry would present, but expressed the conviction that they all could be met.
FEES
The Source told the Standard yesterday that Hongkong will likely charge aighdy cheaper registration Ices than me now assessed by Liberia $6 a net ton and 50 Conis 2 net ton each year thereafter.
But he said registration of all Hongkong-owned slipping would mean immediate revenue of $120 million and at least $10 million annually,
The most immediate challenge, he said, will be crew training and recruitment.
the
Under
previous regulations, a ship #ying the Hongkong British flag had to have British certificated etlicers and, in addition, the senior officers, captain, cust officer, chief engineer, second engineer and radio officer had
be to
British or Commonwealth country
nationals
In late July this year, negotiations reached the point where Britain agreed to requiring that only the captain and one of the senior officers be British
The final agreement requires only A British 01 Commonwealth national captain, a requirement signed by all Commonwealth countries.
i
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.