Govt gazettes Huanggang Port co-location bill

A new boundary-control facility at Huanggang is a step closer to opening, as the government on Tuesday gazetted the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill to implement co-location arrangements there. The bill will be introduced to the Legislative Council for its first and second readings on Wednesday, with officials aiming to complete the local legislative work by the end of July. Last month, the National People's Congress Standing Committee authorised the SAR to exercise jurisdiction over designated area at the redeveloped port. According to a State Council decision last week, the Hong Kong Port Area is to be commissioned on July 31 and Hong Kong is obliged to complete local legislative work before then, a government statement said. To meet the operational needs of the port, officials noted that a raft of subsidiary legislation will be drafted. These will cover detention facilities, traffic and transport management, as well as mobile radio-communication services. The Hong Kong and Guangdong governments will finalise the port's official opening date at a later time. The DAB welcomed the latest development, saying its lawmakers will expedite the vetting process to ensure the port can begin operations as soon as possible. The party added that the facility will act as a key engine to promote a high-quality Greater Bay Area life cycle, helping Hong Kong deepen cooperation with the mainland and better integrate into national development. Under the new co-location arrangement, which will feature collaborative inspection and joint customs clearance, passenger clearance times are expected to drop from the current 30 minutes to about five minutes. The facility is expected to handle around 200,000 passenger trips per day. Edited by Edmond Fong