Development Logistics
42. South China is a major global manufacturing centre. Hong Kong is an international logistics hub. Our airport has the world's largest international cargo throughput, and our container port is among the busiest in the world. In the face of competition from nearby regions, Hong Kong's logistics industry is making every effort to improve efficiency and provide speedy, reliable and full-scale value-added logistics services so that quality can compensate for cost differentials.
43. Where port services are concerned, we need to continue improving our competitiveness. The Government is assisting this process by working closely with the Mainland authorities in order to develop major cross-boundary linkages between our transport network and those of Guangdong and other Pan-PRD provinces, and to expand the source markets for goods. The Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor was completed at the end of 2005. The basic works for the Shenzhen section and the boundary crossing facilities at Shekou will be completed by the end of this year. The commissioning of the Corridor will greatly increase the handling capacity of our land boundary crossings. The recently-launched Digital Trade and Transportation Network System will help reduce the cost of information exchange and provide more opportunities for commercial symbiosis.
44. We are working closely with the industry to enhance cost effectiveness. We have proposed a series of measures to attract more vessels to use our port facilities. Such measures include simplifying vessel entry procedures, lowering port charges, and establishing more service anchorages to increase midstream cargo-handling capacity. To meet demand for support services, we will conduct open tenders for suitable sites adjacent to the container terminals. We will continue to promote discussion within the industry with the aim of enhancing the transparency of terminal handling charges.
45. The Airport Authority and the industry concerned are examining the proposed establishment of a gold depository at Hong Kong International Airport. This will help to promote Hong Kong as a logistics hub and gold trading centre. To support this development, we will consider providing a concession in trade declaration charges for gold.
