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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
on a proper working basis just as our select committees are already carefully examining at monthly meetings the separate statements on their own budgetary allocations.
Ladies and gentlemen, in moving the adoption of this resolution, may I also thank the Department for all the good work they did in the financial year just ended.
(Dr. Denny M. H. HUANG arrived during the Chairman's address.)
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English): Mr. Chairman, I am happy to second your motion as Chairman of the Finance Select Committee. As the Statement has already been presented to and approved by the Standing Committee of the Whole, there is no need to elaborate in detail. Indeed with this Typhoon Elsie upon us, I did not even know whether or not I could get back from Lantau for even the adjourned meeting, but thanks to the H.K. Yau Ma Tei Ferry Co. I have been able to. There is one thing though that I should point out. The Finance Select Committee passed a motion setting up a Capital Projects Fund with $50,000.00 last financial year, which has since been approved, so that the finances look to be in a much healthier position than is in fact the case. We must go on building markets, hawker bazaars, swimming complexes apart from the more aesthetic but very necessary buildings such as the planetarium, the first building of our cultural complex in Tsim Sha Tsui. When we became financially independent, the Government undertook to build a lot of essential buildings for us in the next few years. However, the Government have little money at present, so we have had to introduce a scheme by which we provide the money to build the more essential buildings and the Government have agreed to "switch finance" to other buildings, not immediately so important, that will be built at the Government's expense later. Therefore, we must provide the money to build now, so it is essential to have this Capital Projects Fund.
Also, of course, as the Chairman has already pointed out, the personal emoluments have increased considerably and a very little more would turn our surplus immediately into a deficit. Because over 80% of our all income is spent on personal emoluments, i.e. for the Urban Services Department, so please fellow members, do not think that because we have considerable surplus on paper for the past year, that in fact the accounts of the Urban Council are all rosy.
Tight reins will have to be kept on these accounts and I assure you that the Finance Select Committee is doing so.
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With these few words, Mr. Chairman, I am happy to second the adoption of the Audited Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Statement of Revenue and Expenditure of the Urban Council for the year ended 31st March, 1975.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
(2) MR. HENRY H. L. HU, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKERS SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion (in English):-
"RESOLVED that the Hawker (Permitted Area) (Amendment) (No. 2) Declaration 1975 be made under By-law 4(1) of the Hawker By-laws."
He said:- Mr. Chairman, I rise to move the motion in my name. This proposal is simply to allow a small section of the Hawker Permitted Area in Reclamation Street to be de-gazetted. This small area will be affected by the construction of a flyover which is being built as part of the West Kowloon Corridor Project Stage I connecting Gascoigne Road to Tong Mei Road. The hawkers are required to move during the period of construction for their own safety and that of the general public. They will be allowed to operate in other less congested areas of Reclamation Street during the construction period, and return to their pitches on its completion.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in English):- Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT — 4.17 p.m.
CHAIRMAN (in English):- This concludes our business today. Council stands adjourned until Tuesday, 18th November, 1975 at 4.00 p.m.
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