ties of Hong Kong with the Chinese continent, a friendly business environment and an efficient system of government will revitalize the local aviation and maritime sectors once the pandemic is relieved, with infrastructure and political support projects rauting the way for the long term of the sectors. Growth term, the city's head of transport tells Liu Yifan.
LAM SAI-HUNG, Secretary of Transportation and Logistics. (Photo provided to China Daily)editor's note: This is the first of a series of interviews by China Daily with the new heads of offices and other departments of the sixth period administration of the special administrative region of Hong Kong. The bosses discuss project plans, perspectives and ways of addressing the current problems and challenges of the city from their perspectives.
more than 30 months after the Covid-19 Pandemia, the Aviation and Maritime industries of Hong Kong are still fighting to deal with strict travel restrictions and global interruptions of the supply chain that have Threatened the state of the city as a global transport and logistics center.
But the Secretary of Transportation and Logistics, Lam Sai-Hung, is not affected by these uncertainties. .
In an interview with China Daily, Lam, who assumed the position on July 1 after the sworn of the sixth period administration of the Hong Kong special region, says the strong links of Hong Kong with The Chinese the continent and the world, their friendly business environment and an efficient government system offer the advantages that can help local aviation and maritime industries to recover when the pandemic is relieved.
While admitting that the way the road is still difficult, Lam believes that the "correct infrastructure and policies", including the gigantic expansion project at the Hong Kong International Airport that can increase the capacity Of the passengers and the load, the tax concessions of shipping and the training funds related to the maritime that can boost the growth of logistics services: it will give full play to the competitive edges of Hong Kong and will carry its airport and port return to the "Golden age". Although the figure was a jump of almost 260 percent year-on-year, it was only 6 percent of the levels of before the COVID-19 at the airport, delaying behind their regional counterparts that have seen greater flights after relaxing the measures antipandemics.
but Lam insists that the SAR aviation state has not weakened. Last year, Hkia handled 5 million metric tons of Airfreight, which is still classified as one of the most busy air centers in the world. , instead of a strong rebound, together with recruitment and training plans to avoid chaos.
The Hksar government cut the quarantine of the mandatory one -week hotel for arrivals abroad to three days from August 12. "It is a sign to El Mundo that we will recover greatly from the situation we have been in the last two years," says Lam.
citing chaos seen in North America and Europe, he points out that air travelers began to hurry airports such as travel curbs are reduced, but the acute shortage of staff has led to flight cancellations, long lines and lost luggage.
"This is a lesson that we have to learn," says Lam, and adds that the Hong Kong authorities and airlines are very carefully planning "keeping services in a reasonable standard."
From a long-term perspective, Hong Kong is drawing clear road maps to lift his state as a world transport and aviation center, as described in the 14th five-year plan of the nation (2021- 25).
HKIA's third track opened in July as part of an HK $ 141.5 billion project ($ 18.03 billion) of three races that will be completely completed by 2024. At the end, the expanded airport will be able to to handle 120 million passengers and 10 million tons of charge annually, compared to 70 mi mi
