Speech by STL at rollout ceremony of Port Community System
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, at the rollout ceremony of the Port Community System today (January 16):
Recognising that some of our guests are non-Chinese speaking, I would also like to extend our warm welcome to you all in English as well. Today marks a pivotal moment in Hong Kong's journey towards a smarter, more connected future as an international maritime centre, as our Port Community System (PCS) is finally in place for full roll-out for the industry's use.
In the face of global transformation in the digital world, port digitalisation is a strategic imperative. The PCS is our foundational digital infrastructure, designed to integrate multimodal transport information and enhance transparency. Its core mission is to connect transport information, trade flows with capital flows, thereby solidifying Hong Kong's multifaceted role as an international financial, trade and maritime centre.
Looking ahead, we will unlock even greater value from the PCS. We will collaborate with the Customs and Excise Department to develop a dedicated module on the PCS platform. As the first phase, the PCS will help digitise the cargo detention notification process, thereby providing industry players with faster and more transparent information. This marks a concrete step towards a "Smart Customs" vision, enhancing customs clearance efficiency through digital collaboration.
Furthermore, LSCM (Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre) and my bureau will sign a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with FUNDel Limited, a local fintech start-up that connects e-commerce merchants, logistics companies, and financial institutions to collaborate in catalysing the development of innovative financial products by leveraging the trusted logistics data within the PCS. I look forward to the success of this collaboration; this is the first step, and I look forward to seeing more, which will help transform data potential into tangible financial benefits, particularly for our SMEs.
The PCS system that we roll out formally today signifies the shared vision for our port in three "i's": that is intelligent, interconnected, and indispensable to global trade. A port where data does not only track cargo but fuels growth, unlocks finance, and builds trust within our industry.
Indeed, maritime and port are closely entwined with logistics, and so is the PCS, which covers sea, land and air. Hence, I am very delighted to announce two more achievements on logistics development on this momentous day. First, we will announce the findings of the planning study on the development of a modern logistics cluster in Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area later today. Our aim is to leverage the transport network under planning in the area and Hong Kong's edge in sea, land and air cargo transport, and create a market-enabling environment through introducing market-oriented provisions and development terms as well as innovative measures to answer the industry's needs. Together, we hope to build a smart and green modern logistics cluster in our pivotal and strategic location in Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen New Development Area. We will invite expressions of interest from the industries to attract major enterprises to lead the cluster's development based on an enterprise-oriented development principle. Second, we are also releasing today an ESG data collection toolkit that will help the trade, especially the SMEs, the frontline industry practitioners, to effectively collect and record ESG data, so as to enable them to better comply with international and global ESG compliance requirements. Thank you very much.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the speech.)
Ms Mable Chan, the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
