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promote efficiency in management and administration, improve financial management system and put establishment under strict control. All these efforts aim at stabilizing the financial situation of the Council and some results have already been achieved. In order to further improve the financial situation, however, I believe that discussion must be held as soon as possible with the central government with a view to seeking other measures like effective financial arrangements and amendment of the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangements so as to ensure continual provision of high standard municipal services.
Notwithstanding the present unsatisfactory financial situation, I, as Chairman of the Capital Works Select Committee, would like to guarantee that the Council will not cut the feet to fit the shoes. Instead of lowering the standard of our municipal services, 562 million dollars has been spent on capital works programmes this financial year. From now on until March 1994, a total sum of 3 billion dollars will be allocated for provision of 153 items of municipal services. I firmly believe that with the availability of these facilities in the near future, the quality of life of the 3.6 million urban dwellers can be further improved.
On the other hand, I am glad to say that the labour shortage problem, which is particularly serious in the construction trade in the past few years, has only slightly affected our capital works programmes. This good result is achieved through the joint efforts of the Urban Council, the U.S.D. and related government departments, in particular, the Architectural Services Department and the Planning and Development Division of the U.S.D. I would like to express my gratitude to these departments and other related parties on behalf of the Council.
Looking into the 90's, the Council's capital works programmes should stress on the improvement of the following aspects in a step-by-step approach so as to provide even better municipal services and facilities:
(1) To raise the planning standard of municipal services and facilities to that of the new towns. For instance, the present planning standard for the provision of sitting-out area in urban districts is 15 hectares for every 100,000 people. To provide urban dwellers with a better living environment, such a ratio should be raised to 20 hectares per 100,000 people.
(2) To raise the standard of construction and facilities. For instance, adoption of users-oriented designs as well as those designs aimed at facilitating the physically handicapped, use of materials requiring low maintenance cost. Also, consideration should be given to energy-saving.
(3) To meet the ever-changing social needs and step up cost-effectiveness, the Council should review and improve the methods and policy now adopted in determining priority of capital works programmes so as to ensure that we provide the kind of facilities which the public need and welcome.
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adopted in determining priority of capital works programmes so as to ensure that we provide the kind of facilities which the public need and welcome.
The future political system of Hong Kong and the relationship between China and Hong Kong
Mr. Chairman, in the Debate on Basic Law held by the Urban Council last year, I pointed out that by 1997, 50% of the seats of the Legislature of Hong Kong should be returned by direct election. In the light of this principle, the proposals raised in the bicameral model, such as the 'Separate voting, the transitional mechanism', can well be considered for adoption as arrangements. I also pointed out that in the design of the political system of the HKSAR, the following principles should be observed:
--Democracy and economy to be developed at the same pace;
To maintain a government which will seek a balance of interests among different sectors of society and which will be able to function efficiently; -To achieve joint participation of different social strata in the Legislature and to ensure that the bills passed by the Legislature are supported by representatives of sectors in the Legislature as far as possible; and -To ensure a smooth transition for Hong Kong (beyond 1997).
The above principles should continue to be observed.
At present, discussions on the future political system are mainly focused on two aspects, the proportion of directly elected seats in the Legislature and the 'Separate voting mechanism' with regard to bills. The degree of emphasis laid on these two aspects is different in the various political models proposed by the public at present. For example, the OMELCO model stresses on speeding up the pace for democratic reform and the bicameral model emphasizes that the bills passed by the Legislature should win the support of different sectors represented in the Legislature as far as possible. On the other hand, it is pointed out in the 4:4:2 model and the new composite model that there should be joint participation of representatives of different sectors (in the Legislature). All the points suggested and stressed in these proposals are worthy to be carefully considered by the Basic Law Drafting Committee and the Chinese Government and should be incorporated in the design of the future political system of the HKSAR. Only by doing so can we implement the concept of 'one country, two systems', ensure a high degree of autonomy in the HKSAR and enforce the principle of 'Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong'.
Based on the principles mentioned above, I would like to make the following points to supplement the suggestions raised by me on the political system in the Debate on Basic Law held by the Council last year:
(1) With regard to the composition of the Legislature, the seats returned by district-based direct elections and functional constituencies should each be 50%.
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