Page 425 of 654
Page 425 of 654
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
421
'Value for Money Audit Report' with a number of recommendations on the service of the Council's markets. A timetable was set by the Select Committee to thoroughly discuss and follow up the Report's recommendations in such areas as market viability studies and vacancy rates of market stalls. The Select Committee also conducted a comprehensive review on the layout of existing markets and endorsed, early last year, the guidelines for the design and layout of new markets with a view to modernizing their facilities. The Committee will continue to improve the existing market facilities and to this end, has requested the Department to submit quarterly reports to monitor the progress of improvement works. In view of the bird flu episode, the Select Committee convened a special meeting in late 1997 and endorsed a waiver of 3 months' rents for the poultry stalls in the Council's markets in order to alleviate the financial hardship of the stallholders.
On hawker control, I would like to express my thanks to staff of the Department's Hawker Control Teams. Attributable to their continuous efforts, the number of illegal hawkers has been now decreased to around 3900 as compared with 4400 last year. However, in order to increase the transparency of the Hawker Control Teams, the Select Committee decided in September 1997 to require the Hawker Control Officer grade staff to wear numbered badges while on duty. The matter was then referred to the Department to take follow-up action and make arrangements. As the Council re-affirmed its policy to implement the 'Itinerant Hawker Licence Compulsory Deletion Scheme' in April 1997, the Select Committee will follow up carefully the relevant matters under its purview. In September 1997, it endorsed an 'Opinion Survey on Hawking' with a view to collecting public opinions on hawking. It will follow up the hawking problem in urban areas in a pragmatical and unbiased manner.
The SAR Government proposed to review the present structure of district organisations. The Urban Council, which has served the Hong Kong community for over a century, would have to face a review to see whether it should continue to exist or should undergo a major overhaul. I believe that a review is necessary if we view in the perspective of further improving services by streamlining organisation and enhancing work efficiency and quality. But the Government should do it progressively instead of rushing into reform.
I am of the view that as the existing system and structure have been in operation for years, there might be areas that did not work very well and a review is justified. It is important to note, however, that the content of a reform should dictate the course and not vice versa. Therefore, what needs to be reviewed now is to first examine whether any problem exists in the structure, organisation, functions and operation of the two Municipal Councils and District Boards. What is the nature of the problems and how can they be solved? After addressing these issues, their functions can then be redistributed and reshaped, taking into consideration the extent to which they
Page 425 of 654
Page 425 of 654
Page 425Page 426