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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
3 MR SHUM Choi-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:- RESOLVED that the Hawker (Amendment) By-laws 1978 be made under section 83A of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.
He said (in English):- Mr Chairman, I rise to move the motion standing in my name.
The Council has for some time been considering ways of improving its management of hawkers and, as part of this, will be recruiting more General Duties Teams to ensure that hawkers are operating properly. There will be a sizeable increase in the cost of hawker management, and an adjustment of licence and pitch fees is necessary to help meet part of the cost. It is expected that the Council will be spending an additional $7.27 million a year on hawker management and the new fees will produce an additional yield of only $2.29 million a year. I must stress that the overall loss to the rate payer in managing hawkers is still in the region of $26 million per annum despite the increases now proposed.
The increase in annual fees ranges from $130 for a 4 ft. by 3 ft. fixed pitch to $675 for a cooked food stall or mobile van licence, and will not be an undue burden on the hawkers. The increase will only apply to fixed pitches and mobile vans. It is appropriate for me to point out that the last general fee increase was made in December 1975, and that management costs have been rising steadily since then.
With these remarks, I beg to move.
MR TSIN SAI-NIN (in English):- Mr Chairman, as Vice-Chairman of the Select Committee, I second this motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English):- Discussion? Are you ready for the question? Mrs ELLIOTT please.
MRS E. ELLIOTT (in English):- Mr Chairman, I intend to vote against this motion on the grounds which are very well known to you all. Our financial statement shows clearly very little of the money collected in licence fees has been spent on improvement of the environment of the licensed hawkers. Money collected in fees, along with large amounts of rate-payers money, is spent on cleansing and protection of Hawker Permitted Areas, where unlicensed hawkers enjoy very good business without any financial commitment except to the triad societies. I therefore feel that unless licence fees are going to be used for proper purposes, I cannot support any increase on those who are already paying their rates.
CHAIRMAN (in English):- Thank you. Does the Chairman of the Select Committee wish to exercise his right of reply?
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MR SHUM (in English):- Mr Chairman, I think the Council has spent quite a lot of money in hawker management. At present, there are 6 General Duties Teams. Later on, we intend to increase the General Duties Teams to 12. These will cost the Council about $30.65 million.
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 15 votes for, 1 against and 2 abstentions. (The Chairman did not vote).
ADJOURNMENT — 5.04pm
CHAIRMAN (in English):- That completes the business on the agenda. I declare that Council stands adjourned until Tuesday, 11 July 1978, at 4.00pm.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY D. R. Rick, GOVERNMENT PRINTER AT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS, JAVA ROAD, HONG KONG
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