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Terminal feasibility studies 'on hold'

Feasibility studies for Container Terminals 12 and 13 have been put on hold by the Government and work on Container Terminal 9 is behind schedule.

The report reveals that five of 42 policy commitments by the Economic Services Bureau have fallen behind schedule.

In 1995, the Government said it would spend $200 million to conduct detailed feasibility studies on the development of terminals 12 and 13.

Yesterday, Port and Maritime Board deputy secretary Roger Tupper said: 'When we originally gave the timing for the feasibility studies, Hong Kong was enjoying very, very large annual growth rate in throughput . . . I think we are in a situation now where we obviously are a little more circumspect.' He said recent demand forecasts indicated annual average growth of about five per cent over the next 10 to 20 years - the Government had forecast container throughput would grow by 8.5 per cent a year.

Mr Tupper said: 'That therefore puts the development requirement for terminals 12 and 13 quite some time ahead . . . when the demand warrants it, then we can move ahead on those studies. But they are not warranted at the moment.' Explaining the delay experienced by Container Terminal 9, he said the sticking point was the transfer of berths at Container Terminal 8 between two of the development consortium partners.

'Negotiations were quite complicated,' he said. 'They involved transferring assets within the consortium that is constructing CT9. Obviously, we tried to assist and encourage the parties to come to an agreement as quickly as possible.' He expected the land grant to be completed and the site handed over to the consortium by the end of this month. The Sino-British Joint Liaison Group endorsed the Container Terminal 9 deal last September after a four-year stalemate.

The other four commitments made by the bureau that experienced slippage were dredging works related to Container Terminal 9, introduction of the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) Bill, commissioning of an upgraded vessel tracking system and enhancement of the Mechanised Letter Sorting System.

The bureau said all four would be completed in the next 12 months.

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