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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
people can be given time to be absorbed in the post-1997 Hong Kong body politic. It is hoped that Hong Kong will continue its international ties with the British Commonwealth in some form of 'Associated Territory' status after 1997.
Territories will automatically revert to China. In order to allow time to resolve Fourthly, the New Territories lease will expire in 1997 and the New the question of these 3 million Hong Kong British Citizens, both Britain and China should come to an agreement whereby sovereignty on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula would finally revert back to China 30 years after 1997. Such an agreement would go a long way towards regaining the confidence of local entrepreneurs in taking a long-term investment view of Hong Kong and in bringing back to Hong Kong some of the US$7,000 million which one international news magazine has reported to have taken flight from Hong Kong last year.
Fifthly, between now and 1997, Hong Kong should move towards self-administration along the Singapore model—as has been advocated by Peking leaders to various Hong Kong groups so that by 1997, the entire territory of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories will be governed by Hong Kong people and the Governor or Chief Minister or whatever name is decided upon will be a Hong Kong citizen elected by Hong Kong people.
Sixthly, Hong Kong should by then have its own flag as the premier flag for the whole territory, with British representation in Hong Kong taking the form of a Governor-General or a High Commissioner or the equivalent, and such person could by convention be a Hong Kong born personality.
In any event, whatever the current state of the Sino-British negotiations on Hong Kong's future, we the people of Hong Kong must remain strong and united and be prepared to face the future with confidence. We will contribute our best efforts towards China's four modernizations programme while preserving our own unique life-style and the Hong Kong system for another 50 years after 1997.
There may be only 5.5 million people in Hong Kong, but there is but one Hong Kong in the whole world and we are all committed to preserving Hong Kong's stability and prosperity and way of life for a very long time to come.
I so move.
(Mr. Joseph CHAN arrived at this point—2.37 p.m.)
MR. H. M. G. Forsgate, Vice-Chairman, URBAN COUNCIL, seconded (in English): Mr. Chairman, in seconding your motion to endorse the Statement of Aims for 1984, I welcome the opportunity given to all Councillors today and on Thursday to widen the scope of subjects for debate and taste the forbidden fruit of topics outside the jurisdiction of this Council. Many of us listen with interest, and some envy to the variety of matters raised in the District Boards. Such esoteric subject as E.R.P. and the Llewelyn Report on Education to name but two. Mere mention of which in this Council would be declared ultra vires and the speaker rapidly silenced by you, Mr. Chairman. However, that is the price to be paid for our financial autonomy and independence prescribed by the Urban Council Ordinance. This debate is the exception in the year and I look forward to learning my colleagues' views on a wide variety of topics, freed of the normal constraint.
The hot topic to me, however, must still be that of finance and the husbanding of our diminishing resources until our economy turns the corner to a balanced budget situation once again. Meanwhile, all concerned in this Council, and its executive arm, the Urban Services Department, are doing their level best to control expenditure, and get more value for money by improving management and operational efficiency. It is difficult to measure cost effectiveness in a Government department, as compared with a business enterprise where profitability and a variety of other ratios measure efficiency or otherwise. I have heard of the good results achieved by the Management Services Unit set up to monitor the New Territories Division of the Urban Services Department. I understand it was very effective in reducing cost and increasing productivity and look forward with interest to seeing the results of its efforts in the much larger Urban area.
The stretched version of our capital project programme is the formidable total of over 1 billion to be carried out over the next five years. $333 million this year as compared with $276 million last year. A 20% increase in expenditure should in no way be construed as a cut-back. By the end of the next financial year, i.e. by 31 March 1985, our reserves now some $380 million, will be down to about $150 million and we will be rattling our begging bowl outside the Financial Secretary's door in real earnest.
Public Housing
Changing the subject to that of public housing. This Council contrary to the views of one or two Members, exercises a great deal of influence on public housing policy and progress, through its almost 50% membership of the Housing Authority and its almost complete monopoly of Committee Chairmanships. For the record, and what a great achievement it is, some 136,000 flats are now under various stages of construction with a committed contract value exceeding $10 billion. Indications are that the production rate of 35,000 flats will be exceeded by the end of this year for the 4th time in a row. About 100 flats are completed on each day of the year. Over the next five years, the total production of flats, both rental and home ownership is expected to be in the region of 231,000.
There are still a large number of people awaiting subsidized re-housing and efforts have to be made to ensure a high level of public housing is maintained to meet this demand.
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