The throughput of Hong Kong's container terminals has been declining year by year, and last year it fell to 17.8 million TEU (20-foot equivalent container), ranking ninth in the world, and was left behind by ports such as Shanghai, Singapore and Shenzhou.
Legislative Council member of the shipping and transportation sector, Yi Zhiming, criticized the government's lack of planning in shipping, and the use of short-term leases for container yard leases. force.
Some people in the container storage industry said that the logistics industry in Singapore has a long-term plan, and the container yard lease is up to 30 years, which can provide stable development for the industry. At present, many shipping companies have relocated their headquarters to Singapore or Shanghai to provide container storage services in Hong Kong. business plummeted.
The monthly rent of the container in Hong Kong is 4,000 Singapore dollars and only 1,000 yuan
Container storage is one of the necessary logistical support for the shipping industry. Yi Zhiming said that due to the lack of relevant government policies, container yards can only lease land through short-term leases for a maximum period of 7 years. Bid reversal”, increasing the uncertainty of the industry.
He said that recently, due to the development of Hung Shui Bridge, a container yard has not been renewed. He hoped that the government can reserve space in the "Northern Metropolitan Area" for the industry to seamlessly migrate, otherwise the business will be gone forever.
Jiang Zhiwei, chairman of the Lok Ma Chau China-Hong Kong Freight Association, said that the investment in the establishment of a container yard is large, including the purchase and installation of machinery. It is unfair to the original owner to give up to the next one.
He said that if container owners want to continue their operations, they need to bid for land at high prices. As a result, the cost of renting land is getting higher and higher, and the monthly rent for storing containers is also getting higher and higher.
He said that the monthly rent for a container in Hong Kong is more than 4,000 yuan, Shenzhen and Guangzhou only need more than 1,000 yuan, and Singapore only needs about 300 Singapore dollars, that is, about 1,000 Hong Kong dollars, so many shippers also choose to buy other ports to save costs.
He suggested that once the land is acquired by a new operator, the government can act as a "ball certificate" to calculate the demolition rate and value of the machinery, and require the new operator to pay the first-hand fee.
Advocate land grants to operate container yards for at least 15 years
The Hong Kong Container Storage and Maintenance Chamber of Commerce Limited Li Jiadi said that Singapore has a 30-year lease for a container yard. The cost of the container yard is relatively stable, and the charges are more attractive than those in Hong Kong. In addition, the port is more advanced. , About 80% of the shipping company's headquarters is no longer in Hong Kong, and moved to Singapore or Shanghai and other places.
He pointed out that the business of the industry has been greatly affected by the closure of customs in the Mainland.
Li Zhenqiang, a member of the Legislative Council of the Liberal Party's Election Committee, pointed out that the country's "14th Five-Year Plan" proposed to support Hong Kong's promotion of its status as an international shipping center, but the Hong Kong government actually had no policy support. In fact, the industry can only seek more blessings for itself.
Yi Zhiming described that the restructured Transport and Logistics Bureau is just "changing the soup but not the medicine". The lack of personnel responsible for handling logistics has led to a lack of long-term planning for Hong Kong's shipping industry. He urged the government to set up a logistics department, or set up a statutory law for shipping similar to the Airport Authority. mechanism.
He also suggested that the government should grant land to operate a container terminal, each for a period of at least 15 years.
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