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The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, visited the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and the Energizing Kowloon East Office this afternoon (July 2).
Mrs Lam first visited EMSD Headquarters in Kowloon Bay, where she received a briefing by the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Chan Fan, on the services provided by the department, its ongoing projects and future challenges. Accompanied by Mr Chan, Mrs Lam then visited a training centre for technician trainees to learn more about training on vehicles, mechanical equipment, air-conditioning systems, and other electrical and electronic equipment. She chatted with technician trainees to better understand their learning situation. Mrs Lam then toured the plant of the District Cooling System to understand more about the implementation progress of the project and the energy efficiency of the system. She commended the EMSD's support team for their success in the District Cooling System project, which is one of the key infrastructural projects supporting the sustainable and green development of the Kai Tak Development Area . Mrs Lam also encouraged all staff of the EMSD to continue to strive for excellence and contribute to society with their professional expertise in electrical and mechanical engineering.
Accompanied by the Commissioner for Tourism, Miss Cathy Chu, Mrs Lam then visited the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, where she toured facilities such as the immigration facilities and baggage handling area in the terminal building to better understand its operation. She also visited the terminal's ancillary commercial area and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Park located at the top floor of the building. Mrs Lam was glad to learn that since the terminal's first berth commenced operation in mid-2013, Hong Kong's cruise tourism industry has been growing rapidly. The number of ship calls at the terminal has already increased from nine in 2013 to 28 in 2014 and 58 this year. It is anticipated that the number of ship calls in 2016 will exceed 100. Mrs Lam encouraged colleagues at the Tourism Commission to work closely with the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the terminal operator to promote Hong Kong as a regional cruise hub.
This was followed by a visit to the Energizing Kowloon East Office, where Mrs Lam was given a briefing by the Head of the Energizing Kowloon East Office, Ms Brenda Au, on the latest developments of Kowloon East, including improvements in traffic and the pedestrian environment, Kai Tak Fantasy, "Smart City" initiatives, and the work on urban design and place making. Mrs Lam also toured Fly the Flyover01 and the Kwun Tong Promenade (Stage II), which was opened last month. She commended the Energizing Kowloon East Office for sparing no effort in improving the district appearance and place making, gradually transforming Kowloon East into an attractive and energetic central business district. She also encouraged members of the office to continue their good work with the spirit of creation, to work with members of the public to transform Kowloon East for sustaining Hong Kong's economic development.
Ends/Thursday, July 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:42
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