Earlier, we have invited Association membership to join the secretariat to assist in the review exercise conducted by the Hong Kong Marine Department to enhance the services of the Hong Kong Ship Registry.

The Marine Department has now finished the initial exercise, with an action plan on the following recommendations of the working group:

– Streamline, within the next couple of months, certain ship registration procedures that do not require legislative amendments.

– Seek legislative amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance (Cap 415), to address certain common issues of the industry, including for example dual registration and sub-demise charter registration.

– Take measures to promote the Hong Kong ship registry.

While we will keep you posted about the implementation details, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those Association members who have spared their valuable time and given their useful advice during the exercise.