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The Government will publish in the Gazette on Friday (August 30) the Pilotage (Amendment) Regulation 2013, which aims to prescribe the fees payable for a visit made by the Marine Department to a ship or other site in assessing an application for exemption from compulsory pilotage.
Under provisions laid down in the Pilotage Ordinance (Cap. 84) (the Ordinance), pilotage is compulsory for all ships visiting Hong Kong with a gross tonnage of 3 000 or more in order to ensure the safe navigation of non-local vessels in Hong Kong waters.
The Ordinance allows applications for exemption from compulsory pilotage to be made to the Pilotage Authority, which is the Director of Marine. In considering an application for exemption, the Marine Department may need to visit the ship.
At present, where such a visit is made, the Marine Department charges a fee according to the "fees for miscellaneous services" prescribed under Regulation 7 of the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations (Cap. 281F).
In order for the Ordinance to directly enable the Marine Department to recover the costs for services rendered, the Pilotage (Amendment) Ordinance 2013, which was passed on May 22 and gazetted on May 31, 2013, contains a section which provides that a prescribed fee must be paid where an officer of Marine Department has visited a ship or other site in assessing an application for exemption from compulsory pilotage.
A spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau said today (August 28), "The purpose of the Pilotage (Amendment) Regulation 2013 is to prescribe the fee level payable by applicants under that section of the Pilotage (Amendment) Ordinance 2013.
"The proposed fee level is the same as that currently prescribed under Regulation 7 of the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations (Cap. 281F)."
The Regulation will be introduced into the Legislative Council on October 9.
Ends/Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:23
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