Page 142 of 166
I age 142
270
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. ARTHUR CHAM YAU-TONG (in Cantonese):---Mr. Chairman,
Introduction
Last April, I was chosen from among members of my own district board to join the Urban Council. Now I have been serving the Council for 8 months, yet I am still new to its affairs and need to learn a lot from other experienced Councillors.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
271
make better use of financial resources in hand in face of financial stringency. Though the Council has a long history, it still has to prove to the public that it is making continuous improvement and keeping abreast of the times.
Hawker Control
I think that the hawking activities in Causeway Bay at night are evident to us all. Although the Department has tried its best to join forces with the police to take enforcement action whenever circumstances permit, such hawking activities are still increasing. I believe that instead of using the shortage of resources as an excuse to delay taking action, the Department should take immediate action to control unlicensed hawkers in that area. I would like to reiterate the suggestion put forward by the Wan Chai District Board, that is, the Department should deploy more members of the General Duties Team to undertake 'night' shift duties or extend the hours of work of the GDT to midnight in order to completely solve this night hawking problem.
District Board and the Urban Council
Urban Councillors chosen from among members of the district boards undertake the double tasks of reflecting opinions of their own district on one hand, while taking into consideration the territory-wide interests on the other. In actual practice, however, contradictions emerge. It is always based on the actual circumstances of the individual district that a district board makes its recommendations to the Department which most of the time, turns them down on grounds of policies or resources. This may result in misunderstanding and dissatisfaction on the part of the district board. On the other hand, district boards sometimes embarrass the Department by putting forth opinions which involve issues beyond the terms of reference of the Council. Being a Councillor of a dual role, I am expected by the Urban Council to reflect opinions of my own district without bias. Despite such a great pressure, I would, as a district board member and an indirectly elected Urban Councillor, still continue to discharge my responsibility of improving communication between the two bodies.
Revision of outdated legislations and policies
The Urban Council has a history of about 100 years. However, some of the legislations and policies adopted by it have become outdated. Therefore, this new year may well be taken by this Council as an opportunity to revise or abolish these outdated legislations and policies. For example, the operation of food factories for pig roasting has long been a subject to public criticism. Hence, the legislation governing the automatic renewal of licence for operators of such factories should cease to be effective. Such licences as the licences of private table-tennis saloons which are rarely applied for should be abolished. Few applications have been made for such licences because a lot of table-tennis facilities are now provided by the Council. The Council is expecting a huge deficit for the first time in its forecast of revenue and expenditure for the next 5 years. Before the deficit is incurred, the Council should reconsider the priorities for allocation of funds and work out new financial policies on how to make better use of financial resources in hand.
Use of District Venues
District Boards and the Urban Council have the common objective to serve Hong Kong citizens. Very often, District Boards intend to organize more entertainment and recreational programmes for residents within the district. But they fail to do so merely because there are no suitable venues within the district. The Urban Council has first-class venues at both district and territory levels throughout the urban area, all available for hiring by commercial organizations. Though these venues are very popular, the usage rate is still not satisfactory and there are still unbooked sessions available for hiring by District Boards. However, it is a pity that District Boards in most cases cannot afford the costly hire charges and the venues are left unused. I therefore hope that the Council can consider granting District Boards exemption. Though by so doing the Council cannot get any revenue as it normally does when the venues are let to other people, more activities can be provided for the public and the usage rates of venues can be raised if District Boards are given such opportunities. I trust that District Boards will make use of and will not abuse such opportunities.
District Recreational and Entertainment Activities
At present, both the Urban Council and District Boards provide district cultural, entertainment and recreational activities for residents. Judging from the district level, these efforts are probably duplicated. The Urban Council should therefore consider the transfer of this function to District Boards and concentrating on territory-wide activities. The merits of this proposal are that district activities will become more flexible and the financial commitment of the Council can be alleviated on the other hand. I therefore believe that it is worthwhile for fellow Councillors to carefully consider this proposal.
Page 143 of 166
I age 143
272