Hong Kong: Hong Kong is nearer than it has ever been since reunification 18 years ago to getting a dedicated shipping minister – it is vital to push through this legislative change now, argues Arthur Bowring, managing director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, in today’s Maritime CEO.
Hong Kong’s shipping community has railed against its lack of representation for the past 15 years – its relevant government department at the moment is the bloated Transport and Housing Bureau.
“We could do with some policy changes such as a single maritime authority,” Bowring says. He wants the policy to be established by July 2017, a date when CY Leung, the current chief executive of the former British colony, may step down. “We need to put in concrete the intentions of the present government,” Bowring says. The head of the HKSOA says Leung has been a solid supporter of shipping during his tenure. “A change of government might reduce the importance of this particular issue,” Bowring adds.
