HK boosts ship registry benefits
The Government has adopted a series of initiatives, including cost-saving measures and elimination of bureaucratic procedures, to attract shipowners to register vessels under the Hong Kong flag.
Marine Director Tsui Shung-yiu said procedures had been simplified, and other proposals, including fee changes which required amendments to legislation, were being considered.
'For example, a shipowner can save up to $80,000 in the first year of registration under the Hong Kong flag by deferring vessel inspection to the next year,' he said. Annual inspection charges were less in the second year.
The department also expanded its vessel inspections to include vessels up to 15 years old, up from 10 years.
Mr Tsui said that as classification societies carried out construction surveys of new vessels where they were built, in line with present international safety standards, the department would not duplicate this inspection work.
Previously, it had to fly a surveyor to the shipyard to inspect the vessel before it could be registered.
Regulations still required Marine Department surveyors to inspect the vessels, but shipowners could arrange for these inspections, which take place once every five years, when their ships made a call in Hong Kong or any neighbouring port, Mr Tsui said.
'Owners can have the flexibility and can tell us when to carry out the inspection, which used to be rather time-consuming and complicated,' he said.
In addition, the Government was studying the possibility of giving a discount to shipowners who offer bulk transfer of a group of ships to the Hong Kong shipping registry.
'Offering such a discount would put us on a par with Singapore or Panama shipping registers,' Mr Tsui said.
The shipping committee and the Port and Maritime Board (PMB) have said they were keen to see the Marine Department produce more improvements as soon as possible.
However, the Marine Department cannot do so immediately as some of the proposals involve amendments to legislation and need approval from the Finance Committee.
'We hope to make the changes as soon as possible,' Mr Tsui said.
On the proposal to reduce shipping registry fees, the director said the matter was under study.
As there were so many items that required payment, the department was studying the possibility of grouping certain items under one miscellaneous charge.
Mr Tsui said this proposal would require amendments to the legislation.
Separately, a PMB delegation recently briefed Beijing on Hong Kong measures to promote itself as an international shipping centre.
Officials of the Ministry of Communications and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office assured the delegation that they would support and assist Hong Kong shipowners in resolving these issues and to increase Hong Kong's competitiveness.
