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The government has upped the tempo in its pursuit of measures to improve the two-way flow of people and goods between the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong to stimulate further economic development of the region.
The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, said tonight (September 27) that he had raised a number of issues in meetings earlier in the day with the Governor of Guangdong Province, Mr Lu Ruihua and the Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr Lin Shushen.
These included the setting up of a special liaison group comprising officers from both Hong Kong and Guangdong to ensure proper communication and co-ordination of infrastructure projects planned on both sides of the boundary.
"I am delighted that we were able to reach agreement on establishing the group. And we hope to finalise membership in the near future," Mr Tsang said.
"As the Mainland prepares for membership of the World Trade Organisation, there will be new opportunities and challenges for both Hong Kong and Guangdong. That is why it is important for us to strengthen co-operation, to capitalise on the opportunities and to make ourselves more competitive as the Mainland markets open up to the world.
"It is essential that we co-operate with each other in this way so that we can maximize the mutual benefits of the various projects planned for the Pearl River Delta," Mr Tsang said.
"Logically, this is the next step in developing Hong Kong as the principal logistics centre for southern China. A dynamic hub servicing the Pearl River Delta's industrial heartland, which is still one of the fastest growing regions in the world," he added.
The Chief Secretary also raised the proposed Port Rail Line to Kwai Chung and said this was the type of facility that would be able to dovetail with developments taking place in the Mainland and help in the development of the region.
Mr Tsang said that during the coming National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend, Hong Kong would be implementing new measures at the boundary to accelerate the flow of people and goods between the SAR and Guangdong.
"Beginning on Sunday (September 30) and continuing until midnight on Tuesday (October 2), the Lo Wu crossing will remain open until midnight. This will be the first time the extended opening hours have come into force since agreed at a meeting of the Hong Kong-Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference last July. At the same time, the Immigration Department will re-deploy up to 250 staff from other duties to ensure sufficient manpower at all control points to handle the increased traffic. It is estimated that the peak flow will reach some 320,000 people at Lo Wu during the long weekend.
He said all immigration counters at major control points, particularly Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau and the China Ferry Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui would be fully manned during the critical periods to achieve a smooth flow of cross-boundary passenger traffic.
"The second measure is the introduction of a pilot scheme, from October 1, to speed up the flow of goods across the boundary through a 'one stop clearance' checkpoint at Lok Ma Chau which will be jointly manned by Immigration and Customs officers. The pilot programme over two southbound lanes will eliminate the present system where trucks have to stop at separate customs and immigration checkpoints before entering Hong Kong.
"The scheme could double the number of kiosks available for clearance, and will definitely be able to facilitate the flow of cargo vehicles," Mr Tsang said.
In the evening, Governor Lu hosted dinner for Mr Tsang and his party.
Photo1: The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, visited Guangzhou for a series of meetings on the cooperation of Hong Kong and Guangdong. Picture shows Mr Tsang in a meeting with the Mayor of Guangzhou, Mr Lin Shushen.
End/Thursday, September 27, 2001
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