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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The Council is overly dependent on rates for its revenue. Indeed, the extent is 80%. Our secondary sources should be reviewed in turn to determine whether charges reflect the cost of service given. Where warranted, progressive increase could well be justified if only to take into account the much higher current costs of such service since the fees and charges were last fixed. Altogether such an exercise would strengthen our revenue base and reduce the disparity now prevailing.
I would like to thank the Urban Services Department for all the good work that they did in the preparation of these estimates.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English): — Mr. Chairman, I rise to second your motion.
I endorse your remarks that with so many persons employed by the Urban Services Department, we do have to keep a close watch to see that they are gainfully employed. There is a strict control on almost all domestic rents in Hong Kong which is a good thing but in practice, therefore, it means that our revenue, being mainly dependent on the rates, is not likely to increase considerably in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless only any even moderate increase in the personal emoluments is likely to turn our present surplus into a deficit and this must always be borne in mind. I also agree with you when you referred to the farsighted policy of building at a time when construction costs are lower. In my opinion, once the Mass Transit Railway gets really going, construction costs are likely to rise so besides providing the people of Hong Kong with a building programme of every description that comes under our jurisdiction, it means that by building now, we, the Council, get the best value for our limited resources. We must, however, think of the cost of all that is within our jurisdiction. There are not only the items of public glamour and need such as civic-centres, sports-fields, swimming pools and even markets, but also the difficult problem of hawking particularly in these times of economic crises. Tung Choi Street alone has shown how easily hawkers are subject to the influence of bad elements, I mean Triads, and control over hawking is obviously very necessary, and unfortunately, enormously expensive. Each year brings forward its own problems with regard to hawking and keeping abreast with the problems is just as important as the other and perhaps more pleasant tasks within the Urban Council's jurisdiction. It is the Finance Committee's special task to weigh up all these, sometimes conflicting, demands on our revenue. The result is the estimates that you have before you today.
With these few words, I so second the motion.
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MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): — Mr. Chairman, you mentioned that we have 15,000 staff which takes up two-third of our total expenditure. The Chairman mentioned that we should ensure that the staff should be well used and, to improve our standard, may I ask what programme do we have besides a training programme so as to fully utilize our staff?
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English): — Mr. Chairman, under the impact of that rhetorical question, I am not quite sure of the implications. So far as Mr. BERNACCHI has referred to the under-employment or gain from employment of staff, I think this is a matter which certainly exercises the minds of the department and certainly a matter which is frequently being discussed in the Administration Select Committee. On the point of training, I think Mr. TSIN will agree that we have embarked on a very ambitious training programme in the past two or three years including substantial amount of overseas training and also a reinforcement of the local facilities in Hong Kong for the training of staff in a greater number, as opposed to sending them abroad. I am not quite sure what point Mr. TSIN is attempting to make, would you like to re-phrase your question?
MR. TSIN (in Cantonese): — May I clarify my question. The staff is not under the full control of the Urban Council, but that of the Urban Services Department. So we have no say in personnel matters besides training.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English): — Certainly yes, the Urban Services Department is a department of the Government and, therefore, the staff of that department are subject to the same structures and regulations as the other civil servants. If Mr. TSIN is suggesting that we should have a greater influence or, perhaps, recruitment of staff, so far as training is concerned, we have considerable influence. So far as deployment is concerned, if Members are dissatisfied with the deployment in any way through appropriate Select Committees, we are in a strong position to influence departmental policy and organization. But so far as amendments to Government regulations are concerned, it can only be done by representations from this Council as a Whole to the Government authorities. If Mr. TSIN has proposals to put forward in that respect, I am sure the Council, through the Administration Select Committee, will be very pleased to have them and consider them.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
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