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The Government will shortly table two new Regulations at the Legislative Council to improve the safety, control and regulation of local vessels. These two Regulations are the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (Certification and Licensing) Regulation ("Certification and Licensing Regulation") and the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (Typhoon Shelters) Regulation ("Typhoon Shelters Regulation").

A spokesperson for the Economic Development and Labour Bureau said today (February 27), "The Regulations are two pieces of subsidiary legislation made under the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) Ordinance, Cap. 548, which consolidates provisions scattered in various laws for the administration of local vessels, making the legislation for local vessels more user-friendly."

"The Certification and Licensing Regulation will set out requirements for certification and licensing for local vessels by adopting the existing provisions of the Merchant Shipping (Miscellaneous Craft) Regulations, the Merchant Shipping (Launches and Ferry Vessels) Regulations and the Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Vessels) Regulations to form a single regulation," the spokesperson explained.

"The Regulation will also improve the classification and documentation systems. The number of classes of local vessels will be streamlined from 11 to four, so as to be more user-friendly. Under the new documentation system for licensing vessels, each local vessel will be issued a certificate of ownership in addition to an operating licence required under existing legislation. This will help trace the owner in case of prosecution for breach of law.

"The Typhoon Shelters Regulation mainly adopts the necessary provisions for the management of typhoon shelters from the existing Shipping and Port Control (Typhoon Shelters) Regulations," the spokesman said.

The two Regulations were gazetted today (February 27) and will be tabled at the Legislative Council on March 3, 2004.

Ends/Friday, February 27, 2004

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