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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
the extent of putting forward a very important idea on the full development of the council system.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. TAM KWOK-KIU (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, just now Mr. Mok Ying-fan has, in respect of the existing communication and cooperation between the two Councils, listed the undesirable situations that we must further improve.
I will now say something about how the public views the issue of cooperation and communication between the two Councils. According to a questionnaire survey conducted by the ADPL on the street in West Kowloon last month, the public's evaluation on the degree of cooperation between the two Councils in the implementation of the ordinances is quite negative.
In four of the examples cited in the survey, the rate of interviewees expressing dissatisfaction was as high as 57% to 88%. The reasons given by the interviewees for the undesirable situation generally included lack of communication, segregation of duties, regionalism, competition, poor relationship, different methods of implementation and different standards.
As for the issue of communication and cooperation between the two Councils, nearly 90% of the interviewees agreed that these should be stepped up, so that the Councils may improve their performance, prevent problems, make it easier to do things, save resources and learn from each other.
In the same survey, 85% of the interviewees shared the proposal put up by the ADPL today, that is, a mechanism should be set up between the two Councils and as a practice, the two Councils should promote communication and cooperation and exchanges of information. 75% of those interviewed even supported the idea that in the long term, the two Councils should be combined, so as to bring about savings on resources.
It can be seen from the above survey that members of the public expect that the issue of lack of communication and cooperation between the two Councils should be addressed and improved as soon as possible, or else, as Mr. Mok Ying-fan has said just now, the taxpayers' money would be significantly wasted, so would the resources and efforts of Members and the Departments while the public image of the two Councils would be undermined.
The first policy address of the Chief Executive mentioned that the district organizations should be reviewed. Such a review is welcomed by the ADPL, whose stand has already been clearly made known at the Provisional Legislative Council. I believe that in due course, all Members of this Council will have a chance to have a full debate on the review concerned, but whatever the result of the review, we believe that there is an urgent need in the short term for the two Municipal Councils to set up a mechanism to improve communication and cooperation.
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