Macau Customs Service Director-General Vong Man Chong said yesterday that the design of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HKZMB) goods transfer post is expected to be completed this year and construction will begin next year, with completion slated for July 2024.
Vong said that the point-to-point freight service between Hong Kong and Macau was planned to be implemented gradually upon the completion of the HKZMB goods transfer post.
Vong made the remarks in response to an oral interpellation by indirectly-elected lawmaker Ip Sio Kai during a Q&A plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle, asking why a point-to-point freight service between Hong Kong and Macau has still not been launched since the opening of the bridge in October 2018.
Vong said that the goods transfer station project was launched by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) in 2016, to be located on the eastern side of the Macau Administration Zone on the manmade island at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Zhuhai-Macau checkpoint with an area of 56,361 square metres, which aims to provide warehousing and value-added logistics services.
Vong added that the project was formerly under the portfolio of the Macau Customs Service, but the then Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) subsequently pointed out that the plan needed to be cancelled and rescheduled in accordance with the Urban Planning Law.
Vong said this was due to traffic and other reasons, while the original logistics facilities site for warehousing and value-added logistics services was moved to the new site, the southern side of the East Car Park of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Zhuhai-Macau checkpoint to be a “goods transfer post”, with an area of 16,125 square metres.
Vong noted that the goods transfer will be operated within Macau’s customs territory and will only be available to Macau and Hong Kong trucks for immediate cross-border cargo deliveries.
Vong underlined that the project is being followed up by the following three entities – the Transport Bureau (DSAT), Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) and the Customs Service, which are responsible, respectively, for the facilities and construction of the project, the operational management, and monitoring the operations.
Legislative Assembly (AL) President Kou Hoi In, who after being asked by several legislators, urged the government should clarify the possible impact of the opening of the goods transfer post on Macau’s future logistics supply, such as on the Inner Harbour Terminal and the Ká-Hó Port Container Terminal in Coloane, involving inter-departmental operations, and that none of the directors of the bureau attended yesterday’s meeting. Kou said that inter-departmental coordination was still unsatisfactory and that the officials present “could not answer the questions raised by the legislators”.
Macau Customs Service Director-General Vong Man Chong addresses yesterday’s plenary session in the Legislative Assembly’s (AL) hemicycle.
Photo courtesy of TDM
