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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
147
Mr. Chiang Sai-cheong, Chairman of the Finance Select Committee, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-Thank you for your question, Miss WONG. This five-part question concerns the sharing of costs in respect of common services provided jointly by the two Municipal Councils.
The first part asks what principles were agreed by the two Councils to determine the ratio to be applied for sharing the costs of those common services.
A number of different bases have been adopted over the years for sharing the costs of the common services provided by the Councils. The bases adopted are:
(a) the staffing establishment of both departments, namely: Urban Services Department and Regional Services Department as at 1 April each year.
(b) Population ratio
(c) Equal share
The answer to the second part is that the cost sharing bases consist of variable factors e.g. the establishment ratio and population ratio, thus the formula applied will be revised each year based on the variable factors.
The information requested in the third part of the question is set out in the document tabled before Members in respect of items (a) to (f):
(a) Hygiene Division under the Department of Health
Basis of sharing: establishment ratio as at 1 April
(b) Music Office (including Task Force)
Basis of sharing: population ratio as at 1 August
(c) Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign
(d) Flower Show
for territory-wide events and media advertising, 2/3 of the costs are borne by UC and 1/3 by RC.
(2) for activities identifiable to the region, the costs are borne by the relevant Council.
Basis of sharing: equal share
(e) Sponsoring local sports Associations to organize territory-wide sports events
Basis of sharing: population ratio
(f) Organizing joint cultural programmes/presentations
Basis of sharing: pro-rata basis, depending on the number of performances each Council presented.
In addition to the common services listed in part (iii) of the question, the following common services are provided by the two Councils:
(a) Training School
(b) Career Exhibitions
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