ENG-2020 — Page 264

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Transport

Maritime Industry

The port of Hong Kong offers frequent and comprehensive ocean liner services, with about 280 container vessel sailings weekly to over 600 destinations worldwide, according to Shipping Gazette 2020 data. More than 800 maritime-related companies operate in the territory, providing quality services such as ship management, ship broking and chartering, marine insurance and maritime legal and arbitration services. Hong Kong is also a ship finance centre in the region. According to the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, Hong Kong's shipowners own or manage 9.8 per cent of the world's merchant fleet in terms of deadweight tonnage. As at 31 December, Hong Kong had in place double taxation relief arrangements covering shipping income with 52 tax jurisdictions. To foster the development of high value-added maritime services, the government amended relevant legislation in June and July to offer tax concessions to ship leasing and marine insurance businesses respectively.

Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board

The Hong Kong Maritime and Port Board is a high-level advisory body chaired by the Secretary for Transport and Housing and comprises maritime and port industry figures. It aims to create a maritime business-friendly environment, nurture local maritime talent and promote Hong Kong's strengths in the industry, so as to enhance the territory's position as an international maritime centre.

The board supported and participated in various local and international promotional activities (substantially online) to raise Hong Kong's profile as an international maritime centre and promote its quality and professional high value-added maritime services.

Maritime and Aviation Training Fund

The maritime and aviation sectors receive government support in manpower development via the Maritime and Aviation Training Fund with an accumulative commitment of $300 million. This fund supports various scholarships and training and promotion initiatives to build up a diversified and competitive pool of professionals and technical personnel. The recently launched Local Vessel Competency Enhancement Scheme successfully encouraged 136 local seamen to acquire higher Coxswain/Engine Operator Certificate of Competency qualification at Grade 2 level. Since its inception in 2014, the fund has benefited more than 11,000 students and those working in the maritime and aviation sectors through the operation of 15 schemes.

Hong Kong Shipping Register

The Hong Kong Shipping Register (HKSR), administered by the Marine Department, ranked fourth in the world in 2020 in terms of gross tonnage. As at 31 December, the registered ships recorded about 130 million gross tonnage in total. To ensure the Hong Kong-registered ships' compliance with international standards, the department conducts a quality control assessment before allowing ships to join the register and implements a Flag State Quality Control System. The Port State Control detention rate of Hong Kong-registered ships is well below the world average, putting the Hong Kong flag among the top performance flags in the white list under the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Paris MoU of Port State Control. Hong Kong also holds the United States Coast Guard's Qualship 21 status. To widen the HKSR's service network, provide better support for shipowners and promote the HKSR,

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