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Keeping the Leisure Marine Industry Afloat!
With a strong maritime culture, Hong Kong has long been the leader in the leisure boating industry in Asia. The HKBIA has come up with a number of short term and longer-term recommendations to keep businesses afloat whilst planning for a future recovery.
Hong Kong, with the largest number of pleasure boats in the region, is acknowledged as Asia’s most mature leisure boating community. A recent survey of HKBIA members confirmed that as an industry they felt they were missing out on local government support that has been available to other service industry sectors. The HKBIA is now actively petitioning the Government to make available more support measures so that the leisure marine sector can survive long enough to help the whole economy recover.
Short term solutions:
● Immediate cash handouts in line with those already given to retail and restaurants to ALL businesses to assist in cash flow until Government subsidies can be enacted.
● Job Retention Scheme (Wage subsidies) – 80% of salaries up to a cap of $14,500/month for 6 months (MPF/ORSO registration as proof or equivalent documentation).
● The same wage subsidy scheme should be provided for self-employed persons based on a declared average monthly salary level.
● Legislated Rental Reductions (Stamped Rental Agreements as Proof)
● Increased value limit for 100% Government Guarantee Loans
● Ability to combine or repackage existing loans under the 100% Loan Guarantee Scheme to enable companies to have a single loan with lower interest and under a longer repayment structure or other variable to reduce the short-term repayment burden.
● Immediate relaxation of the rules preventing the use of boats for sail training and leisure and easier access for maintenance - self-regulation for adherence to any required safety and social distancing rules.
Long term solutions – once the situation is deemed safe:
● Enable easier conversion of foreign boat operators’ licenses to local licenses.
● Develop public marina facilities in Hong Kong to stimulate the industry and revitalize the surrounding areas and expand local economies. The Kai Tak/Kwun Tong area has the potential to provide more mooring facilities, the lack of which has severely restricted HK’s leisure marine industry’s growth.
● Develop all manner of water sports and water based recreational activities by expanding facilities and accessibility to HK’s unrivaled waters for general public access.
● Expand access to typhoon shelter moorings for vessels permanently homed in Hong Kong to enable the local boating industry to grow: at the moment too much space is reserved for vessels with mainland registries, space that is mostly unused..
● Lead boating industry development in the Greater Bay Area.
● Address environmental issues faced in local waters including allocating facilities for emptying grey water holding tanks in marinas and typhoon shelters.
● Enhance options for disposal of obsolete boats in HK via promotion of recycling facilities.
The leisure boating industry employs a wide range of people and professionals; the ex-fishermen who are now Captains and crew of yachts; marine professionals who service and repair these craft; brokers who sell boats, instructors who teach sailing and seamanship, and the insurers who underwrite the risks - the HKBIA represents them all. This young association represents one of the fastest-growing work-force sectors in Hong Kong and aims to support its members throughout this crisis.
香港遊艇業總會（HKBIA)
發佈2019冠狀病毒(COVID 19) 對業界的影响報告
呼籲政府增加支援
令休閒海洋工業川流不息 !
因擁有濃厚的海洋文化, 香港長期以來一直是亞洲休閒遊艇工業的龍頭和領導。HKBIA 已提出多項短期及較長遠的建議, 以維持業務繼續下去; 同時規劃未來業務的復甦。
在亞太區域香港的遊艇數量是最多的, 香港被公認為亞洲最成熟的休閒遊艇社區。最近一項對HKBIA成員的調查確認了作為一個行業; 我們認為政府就COVID 19 的支援遺漏了一些行業，當中包括我們休閑遊艇業。 HKBIA現正積極向政府發出呼籲, 爭取提供更多的支援措施; 使休閒遊艇工業能夠逆境中漂流生存, 以備待和配合整體的經濟復甦。
短期解決方案:
•配合已經發放給零售和餐飲業之現金支授, 應向所有行業 經營商發放即時現金, 以協助現金流轉, 直至政府補貼得以實施。
• 職位工作保留計劃(工資補貼) – 工資薪金的80%; 最高上限為HK$14,500/每月, 為期 6個月(MPF/ORSO註冊或同等文件作為證 明)。
• 應根據申報的平均月薪水準, 為自僱人仕提供同樣的工資補貼計劃。
• 法定租金的削減(以蓋章租賃協議為準) 。
• 增加100% 政府擔保貸款的限額。
• 重新組合100%貸款保證計劃下的現有貸款, 使經營商能夠以低利率滙成為單一貸款, 還款結構較長或其他條款, 以減輕短期還款負擔。
• 立即放寬禁止使用船隻進行訓練和休閒之用的限制, 以便於維修 - 自行調節以遵守任何必要的安全和社交距離規則。
長期解決方案- 一旦疫情情況被視為安全:
• 使外國船運營商的許可證更簡便轉換為本地許可證。
• 發展香港公共碇泊設施, 以刺激遊艇行業; 振興周邊地區和擴大本地經濟活動。啟德/觀塘地區甚有潛力提供更多停泊設施, 缺乏這些設施, 嚴重影響香港休閒海洋工業的發展。
• 發展各種水上運動和水上娛樂活動, 擴大設施和可進入香港無與倫比的水域, 供公眾使用。
• 擴大永久在本港停泊船隻的颱風泊位, 使本地遊艇工業得以發展: 目前預留給內地註冊船隻碇泊的空間 過大, 大部份的位置亦未使用。
• 引領大灣區遊艇業的發展。
• 解決本地水域面臨的環境問題, 包括分配設施; 在碼頭和避風塘污水排放蓄水池。
• 通過推廣回收設施, 提升處理香港棄置船隻的選擇。
休閒遊艇業雇用了廣泛的人才和專業人士; 很多前漁民現巳是遊艇船長和船員; 為這遊艇提供服務和為修的專業人員; 出售船隻的經紀人、教授航海和航海技巧的導師, 以及遊艇保險業僱員。HKBIA是一茁壯的商會, 代表遊艇業, 其會員及其增長迅速的勞動力向政府呼籲發聲, 旨在團結和支援本會會員，逆流而航，乘風破浪過度危機。
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