Guangzhou launches new measures for Greater Bay Area

Nine new measures were launched by the Guangzhou General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection on Sept 17 to better serve the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The measures cover the simplification of exit and entry procedures, reform of frontier inspection management, as well as transparency in government information.

International navigation ships, which wait to berth at the anchorage grounds at the mouth of the Pearl River for more than 24 hours, can directly get to the ports in Guangzhou for entry procedures after reporting.

Licenses for boarding foreign ships can be valid through the 122 freight terminals, anchorage grounds, as well as shipbuilding and repair yards in the cities of Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhaoqing, Yunfu, Qingyuan, and Shaoguan.

In addition, two measures were specially launched for the benefit of Hong Kong and Macao. One was to simplify the entry and exit border inspection procedures for ships that carry sand and gravel for the No 3 runway at Hong Kong International Airport.

The other was that ships loaded with fresh aquatic products from Hong Kong and Macao can receive priority in inspection and examination at the 105 freight terminals and anchorage grounds in the aforementioned seven cities.

"The implementation of the nine new measures will benefit more than 23 million Chinese and foreign tourists, as well as over 80,000 ships," said Chen Huixi, head of the Guangzhou General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.

The measures can also help improve the efficiency and facilitation of the entry and exit for ships and travelers at the Greater Bay Area, and will advance the development of the Bay Area, Chen added.