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convinced of the need for something positive to be done, I would suggest that a multi-departmental working group should be formed including at least the following departments, namely, UC, USD, RHKP, Transport, Housing, Land Office, CNTA and the Judiciary. They have to decide on a uniform policy and to execute the policy with common efforts. Similar groups have been formed and have succeeded, namely, the Clean HK Campaigns, the Central Working Groups on Vice Establishments by the Fight Crime Committee.
We should pay attention to the following areas.
(1) I propose to designate certain streets in different urban districts as on-street hawking sites for those who would wish to hawk. The sites should be rented out to hawkers on a quarterly or monthly basis. The right to hawk in the sites is acquired by payment of rentals. These sites will have to be decided by representatives from the Land Office and the DB, UC and USD with a view to its viability. They should be strategically located in different districts to meet the marketing needs of the public. The sites will have to be allocated to hawkers by balloting.
(2) The collection of rentals from the relocated hawkers in the rented out areas will help to defray part of the cost of control. The fine sentence on the offenders in the court will also be collected to finance further efforts for making sites available. The formation of hawkers into groups will foster a spirit of cooperation and assist them to keep the place tidy and clean and to keep away outside intruders. Renting, as opposed to licensing, bequests no permanent right or privilege on the lessee. They pay the rental to obtain the right to operate in the designated sites, and if they see it fit to stop paying the rentals, they will stop having the right to hawk. Enough sites must be provided to be assigned to hawking in different urban districts.
(3) Once we have established adequate outlets for purchasing needs of the public, we shall have to be firm on our enforcement. The GDT and RHKP will have to arrest illegal hawkers in undesignated sites and those without paying rentals. The procedures of arrests created no problem apart from that of time-consuming and manpower-intensive. The performance and effort of GDT will only be manifested if their work is reinforced by the understanding of the Judiciary department.
(4) It is vital for the success of the scheme that the courts have to pass adequate sentence on the offenders, especially the repeat offenders. The penalty must be adequately heavy in order to act as effective deterrent. Mandatory confiscation of their goods may serve well, in the sense that this will put up their cost and they will have to think twice before taking up the venture again. Without this cooperation from the Judiciary, our efforts to control illegal hawkers will fail.
(5) Longer term solution will certainly have to depend on the provision of more markets. They should be of easy access and simple design, at lower capital cost to build, of low-rise building structures and to be provided at an earlier date to cope with the urgent needs from the explosive population. They should be conveniently located and at strategic sites. Market viability will have to be considered. Grandiose multi-storey market complexes are in themselves impressive, but may not serve the genuine needs of the customers, and hence the stallholders.
(6) The Town Planning Department and Town Planning Board, may have in the ancient past been unable to forecast the overcrowding of our city to such enormous extent. Hawkers problems existed mainly in the older districts such as those in the West Kowloon. In the well-planned new towns and public housing estates, illegal hawking has not created any serious problems as their marketing needs and venues are well provided for when approving plans for the housing complexes. The Town Planning Board should continue to maintain the present standard of requirements on the number of markets and shops, as it is required on the number of schools and other GIC facilities to the anticipated needs. In the older districts, some of the pockets of resumed land may be given short lease for private entrepreneur to operate hawker bazaars. This use of land in the crowded districts may assist in the general overall problem of hawker control in the spirit of privatization for more efficiency and flexibility of smaller scale business. Such may be considered as an adjunct to the solution of the problem.
Mr. Chairman, with these words, I support the motion.
MRS. MARGARET LI (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I like to think that the year to come will not just be 'Business as Usual' for the Council.
Financially, we will be walking on tight rope but on this topic, many of my colleagues have spoken, wisely and courageously. I am sure each of their recommendations are worthy of careful consideration.
During the year, our sister council will be set up, the better to look after the special interests of residents in the New Territories. Although a Secretary for Municipal Services will be set up to coordinate between the two councils, we should be mindful that symmetry is not a necessary virtue particularly when balanced against the special circumstances and needs of the New Territories. With Government's commitment to further develop representative government in Hong Kong, we should work in close cooperation with our sister council and when conditions are mature or when the need arises, to set up joint committees and other institutions. In any case, I am sure we can benefit from observing how our sister council operates with a different composition for it will have so much more direct representation from the New Territories District Boards.
In taking note of your suggestion to Councillors to generate more community participation in the Council's work and activities at the grass-root level, I like to take this in the broadest sense. I have in mind, not merely further expansion in the size of the Council's 'consumers', so to speak, but in some way
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