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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I am ashamed to comment on the market reconstruction programme. The Yaumati Market was completed in 1956 and Tang Lung Chau Market in 1963. I am assured that North Point Market will be completed in 1969 and possibly the Shaukiwan Market will be reconstructed in 1970.
I think, of all the projects dealt with by this Council the market programme has progressed the slowest. The only other project that has progressed slower is the Abattoirs. It was a full fifteen years between conceivement and delivery.
I do not wish to place the blame on anyone other than our own vacillation and lack of purpose. The delay in this case is not so much in Government's reluctance to build markets as the frustrating stalemate in the Markets Select Committee during the years that have passed.
May I again crystallize the needs for an accelerated market programme? A market is the most economic institution for the sale of food to the public at low cost, or for the public to purchase food at the lowest cost and best value. This is so because with lower rents in the market stall, the overhead cost and profit are lower. The delivery cost is lower too because a larger quantity of food and variety is delivered to the same place — this is the principle of place utility. At the same time the buyer gets variety of food and this is time utility. Therefore, the price of fresh food in the market is lower.
The biggest setback is the supposition that since there are meat shops and supermarkets, there is no more need for the conventional market. This would be true only if 95% of the population change their habit to eating oatmeal, eggs and toast for breakfast and beef steak or porkchops for lunch and dinner. This is a wrong observation and assessment. 90% of the people of Hong Kong still eat rice, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry, in that order. Over 70% of the people eat fresh vegetables and fish. Any housewife living at the base of the economic triangle would confirm that.
Therefore, to stop building markets and letting old markets depreciate into dilapidated structures such as Shaukiwan Market, Shek Tong Tsui Market, Sai Wan Ho Market, Mongkok Market and Shamshuipo Market is a disgrace.
Furthermore, the meat shops which prefer to sell profitable commodities such as meat, leave much to be desired as to cleanliness in the premises and the quality of the foodstuff from the point of view of public health. In the market an Inspector can frequently inspect all the stalls. How many Inspectors would we require to inspect 30 shops in a district? Either we would require more Inspectors or suffer the consequence of infrequent supervision. Furthermore, the vegetable hawkers inevitably hawk illegally outside of meat shops, thus causing obstruction or turning the meat shops' street into virtual street markets. I have said before and I say now that those who would deprive each district of a good and clean market are probably persons who sit loftily in their offices and are out of touch with the people. Those who wish to be elected by housewives should well bear this in mind.
The present Markets Select Committee has therefore the following objectives:
(1) To continue to press for the acceleration of the reprovisioning of existing markets and the construction of new markets in accordance with the needs of the urban areas.
(2) To carry out a research programme into the retail marketing needs of the urban areas, including an examination of the facilities provided by food hawkers and fresh provision shops, in order to obtain a basis for the efficient planning and design of market facilities.
(3) To continue to maintain and improve conditions in all markets in regard to general cleanliness and food hygiene.
I feel sure this Council will support these aims.
Food and Food Premises
Last year I referred to the licensing of food premises and to the need for streamlining the Council's system for licensing. I also referred to the number of restaurants and other food premises which had been operating without a licence and the need for sterner measures to prevent these from continuing in operation.
During the year the Food and Food Premises Select Committee has devoted many hours considering the problems connected with the licensing of food premises and I am pleased to be able to report that considerable progress has been made. By March 1st, 1967, the Council's requirements which are imposed on food premises had been carefully re-written in English and Chinese, so as to eliminate any requirement which was not considered to be absolutely essential and to ensure that the requirements were written in a language that would be understandable to all. At the same time a Central Licensing Unit was established and a completely revised and a more streamlined procedure was implemented. A recent review of the new procedures that were introduced proved that they were sound and appeared to be acceptable to members of the public in the food retailing and manufacturing trades. However, the Food and Food Premises Select Committee will not rest on its laurels. Members will note from item 4(c) in the Statement of Aims that the Committee intends to continue to review, expedite and improve the licensing procedure. I would like to
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