HIT - Q&A Session

Apex

1. As compared with other container terminals in Pearl River Delta (PRD) like Yantian International Container Terminals, HIT does not closely link to railway. Do you consider it as a disadvantage? Why or why not?

On the contrary, Hong Kong has its own advantages, high effectiveness, efficiency, and stability. Hong Kong is a natural deep-water port, a blessed gift, and a few ports have that potential. The seabed of Hong Kong is extremely deep that allows any large-scale ship to park in. In addition, Hong Kong has lots of attraction: Hong Kong is a Freeport and has offered tax-free to company; customs declaration mechanism is facilitate; Hong Kong has many routes connecting with other country.

2. Recent years the cargo throughput in Southern China region such as Shenzhen port keeps on increasing. Would this bring threats to port development in Hong Kong? How do the container port operators like HIT deals with the fierce competition to maintain its leading position?

Recently, HIT’s business in Hong Kong is still very stable. Hong Kong is a transshipment port, it has a totally difference role with Shenzhen. 70% of Hong Kong business is transshipment, but only 30% is direct export. On the contrary, direct export is accounted for 70% in Shenzhen port as there are many factory in Shenzhen. As the largest container port operators, HIT would enhance its own competitiveness and productivity to maintain its leading position.

 

Morning

3. Last year, labor dispute adversely impacted HIT’s corporate image and brought a huge financial loss to HIT. What are the procedures and policies for HIT to prevent labor strike in order to maintain normal operation of HIT and harmonious employer-employee relationship?  

Todays, HIT has put extra effect on building close and good relationship with its staffs, outsourced staffs and contractors. HIT also has improved working environment by retrofitting washrooms and restrooms. HIT even allows a part of the employees working in control room that is built in indoor building. HIT often invite outsourced staffs to join their normal briefing session in order to exchange information and enhance communication between each other.

 

4. What contingency plans for the extreme situation of bad weather just like black rain extreme weather last Sunday?

HIT has its own precaution to deal with the extreme weather. For example, staffs is not allowed to work under typhoon signal no.8. To begin with, HIT will stop all transactions of empty cargo and lashing by hemp rope.

After that, HIT informs ship company that not allow to park at pier; even force them to leave immediately.

Under typhoon signal, HIT will plug in all cranes with floor by pressing buttons, in order to avoid cranes moving along its tracks randomly and freely.

All staffs worked in container yard will be forced to leave and stand by in the rest room.

Last but not least, HIT will keep contact tightly with radio station, Ship Company and truck driver about the situation of container yard and operation time.

Smarties

5. To run such a huge container port, we know that HIT have applied lots IT system such as Next Generation Terminal Management System (nGen), Operations Monitoring System(OMS), Radio Data System(RDS) etc. In order to well-organize it among those systems, which systems that your company value most that your company is proud of it?

Even though the total area of Hong Kong port is relatively small, the port throughput is extremely high with high effectiveness. It should be credit for the self-developed system (nGen), which can calculate very accurately on ship arrival time and required resources for cargo handling.