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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
and power of USD staff may sometimes make the public worry that some officers may not be able to guard against temptation and become involved in corruption. I appreciate the effort of the USD staff. I stress that most of them are very honest and have been very dedicated to their work. Hence, I hope the Department can take a further step forward to take the lead amongst civil servants in promoting honesty. We should keep up our integrity in discharging our duties to serve the community.
Members may be aware that most duties and rules for the civil servants have already been set out in the civil servants regulations which can prevent corruption, fraud and other illegal practices. That is the last line of defence, but I wish to point out that the most effective preventive measure is, and the basic tool to achieve self discipline is a set of code of ethics set up for the Department, listing out all the basic regulations that staff members have to observe. The code of ethics will be able to maintain our reputation for impartiality and responsibility, it will also be effective in guiding the day-to-day operation of the Department. It is just as important as law and order to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. So, I put forward this motion.
'RESOLVED that owing to the nature and scope of their duties and responsibilities, staff of the Urban Services Department may have opportunities to be involved in matters relating to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, the Department is urged to formulate a 'Code of Ethics' to provide its staff with guidance on prevention of corruption.'
Sir, I so move.
Mr. Albert Lai WING-LIN (in Cantonese):---Mr. Chairman, there are people who want to gain personal benefits or convenience and therefore, through improper channels, ask USD staff to tolerate or even cover up their illegal behaviours. In order to achieve their ulterior motives, they will bribe or even intimidate our staff. The Department has a large establishment of over 16 000. I am glad to tell Members that over the years, only a very small number of our staff have been entrapped and convicted. In order to prevent our staff from falling into the traps out of carelessness, it is necessary for the Council to formulate a code of personal ethics for our staff, so that they will not fall into the corruption traps and thus maintain the clean image of the USD. I second the motion moved by Ms. Jennifer CHOW, solely for the reason of offering protection against harm to the USD staff who implement the UC policies. Mr. Chairman, I emphasize again that my seconding the motion does not imply a rampant corruption situation has occurred among the USD staff. On the contrary, it is to tell the public that USD staff are clean and uncorrupt. From 1991 to 1994, USD officers who were involved in corruption and became convicted amounted only to 2 members. Such a low crime rate can really be described by the phrase, 'There is hardly one in ten thousand.'
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