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from years of penny-pinching. Misguided economy may be said to have left the Council short of qualified staff and long in backlog of projects to be done.
Before the new Council was set up I stated time and again that I did not consider the departmental establishment to be adequate for our purpose. Staff requirements were drawn up unilaterally without the opinion of the Council having been sought at the time. Events have since proved how true I was in my misgivings about the ability of the Department to serve the public interest in the manner the Council would like it to do. I can only hope that urgent measures will be taken by the Central Government to give the Council the man-power in numbers and quality which we must have if we are to do our job properly and achieve our purpose of making Hong Kong a better place for all to live in, without distinction.
It is true the Council anticipates a substantial surplus of funds by the end of the financial year. While it may be thought that this is a happy position to be in, yet I do not agree altogether because, in my view, it would have been far better had we been able to spend at least part of the money on the many approved programmes for the good of the people. The surplus is due in part to the inability of the Central Government to construct many of the great number of projects already approved or in an advanced stage of planning. I believe that the total comes up to nearly 300. The Council is very gravely concerned with the situation and has been studying how to tackle the backlog effectively.
In moving the motion on the agenda, I look forward to hearing today and again on Thursday the many pertinent observations Members are sure to make in the public interest.
I so move. (Applause.)
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, Vice Chairman, Urban Council, said (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in rising to second the Motion, I am reminded of the Oath of the Athenian City-State, a translation of which I came across recently, and which goes:
"We will ever strive for the ideals and sacred things of the city,
both alone and with many;
"We will unceasingly seek to quicken the sense of public duty;
"We will revere and obey the city's laws;
"We will transmit this city not just not less, but greater, better
and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us.
""
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To create such a city and to preserve it was the great ideal of Greek civilization.
I venture to hope that such an ideal may yet become ours in Hong Kong, with its already established reputation as an international city of commerce, industry and tourism.
I would hope that Hong Kong not only become more prosperous and economically viable, but even more enriched in architectural beauty, environmental quality, social amenity, and cultural vitality.
With the granting of financial autonomy to the Urban Council since April last year, I believe that we have moved one step ahead towards the great ideal of Greek civilization in the role of the city.
As Chairman of the Finance Select Committee, I am happy to note that Council members are now more than ever before consciously aware of the challenges and responsibilities that have been placed upon them by the fact of the Council being financially independent.
From the community's point of view, the tremendous advantage of the Urban Council being financially independent is that it can and will be more quickly responsive to the changing needs of the community, and give priority in the use of its funds to those projects—whether they be swimming pools, study rooms, temporary markets, playgrounds, or whatever they may be—which require urgent attention.
Towards this end, the Council has set up a Planning Section to co-ordinate and more closely integrate all the Council's expansion plans on both the immediate and long-term basis.
The Council has already agreed upon its Budget and Capital Development Programme for the 1974-75 Year. We are now in the process of having prepared a Five Year Forecast of both the Budget and the Capital Development Programme.
I would add that the Capital Development Programme consists of two types of projects: firstly, those such as swimming pools, study rooms, temporary markets, which will be paid for out of the Council's own budget, and secondly, those major projects such as cultural complexes, and abattoirs, which will be paid for by the Central Government.
Another aspect to which the Council through its Select Committees is giving greater attention is that of Cost and Performance, in other words, ensuring that the public gets good value for money spent, with economy and without waste.
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