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At the same time, we must adopt the latest management system and processes. That's the only way to reach the standard of a first-rate service organization. We must adopt ISO 9000 or other similar international standard to gauge the effectiveness of our services, and apply TQM or total quality management which will provide us with the opportunity to motivate staff, upgrade services as well as productivity, cut costs and improve our relationship with the public while providing services.
Of course, as a Member of the Urban Council, I hope the entire staff under the management of the Urban Council are devoted to their duties and there will be no more incidents of misconduct. In this way, the Urban Council will be able to operate more smoothly and efficiently, resulting in still greater contribution to the community at large.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. CHAN KWOK-LEUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, among the public health services provided by the Urban Council, street cleansing is the most noticeable one to the public, because whether the streets are clean or not can be easily seen. Therefore, the work in this area will easily become the ‘report card' with which the public appraises the performance of the Council. Being directly elected by the public, we must give weight to this 'report card'. We are unlike the former appointed Councillors, or Members of the former Preliminary Working Committee of the Preparatory Committee, or the newly set up Preparatory Committee, of the Special Administrative Region, who are appointed and can speak what they like or do what they want, not fearing any criticism from the public. They can do so because they only have to flatter those in power to rise to the top of the ladder.
Back to the subject of public health, the cleanliness of streets depends on whether proper work is being done in respect of daily street cleansing and washing, clearance of refuse bins and operation of the refuse collection points. In the past, the Council has been criticized by the public on many of these cleansing duties.
With regard to street cleansing, the Council has, since 1992, implemented a trial scheme of contracting out street cleansing work to private contractors. There is also plan to extend this scheme to one-third of the areas under UC jurisdiction. The Democratic Party is of the opinion that 'partial privatisation of street cleansing' can help to improve efficiency and alleviate the bulky establishment of the Urban Services Department.
Of course, after privatization the Department must maintain supervisory officers to conduct daily inspections. As for punitive measures, I believe that deducting cash rewards will bring immediate effect. Moreover, apart from extending the privatization scheme to other districts, it should also be extended to the collection of certain kinds of refuse. We can draw on the experience of the Waste Paper Collection in Public Housing Estate Programme, and implement a pilot scheme to privatize the recovery of aluminium cans and glass bottles in shopping and tourist areas.
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