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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
537
this item in the agenda. However, after deliberation, it has been decided that since both the original and amended motions fall outside the Council's ambit, they are not suitable items for our discussion. Accordingly, I beseech Members to refrain from setting the precedent of bringing non-Council issues to our monthly meetings. In connection with this, I wish to know Members' views. In exercising my rights as the Chairman, I rule that it is not appropriate to discuss the motion at today's meeting. Does any Member wish to speak on this?
MR. DANIEL TO Boon-man (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the proposer of the original motion, MR. CHAN Choi-hi, has considered this point and therefore, in his motion, it is stated that 'the Council will act correspondingly to show support on the principle that the services provided to the public will not be affected.'
In this connection, usage of the rates revenue involves the livelihood of the people and it is also the financial provision allocated to the Urban Council. The issue to be discussed is that the percentage of rates revenue allocated to the Council should remain 2.6% and that what is to be changed is only the remaining percentage of rates collected. Under such circumstances, I consider that as an open-minded Council, we should handle this issue which involves people's livelihood and which is within our range of authority. The difference between 2.4% and 2.6% falls within our ambit and as such, under the principle of serving the community, I consider that this does fall within the Council's jurisdiction. We should therefore discuss this issue and show our concern, in particular we should do our best to handle the issue.
Chairman (in Cantonese):—In fact I hope that members of the public will know about this. They might not understand the relationship between the 2.6% and 2.4%.
In fact, the 2.6% and 2.4% make up the total rates charge of 5%, 2.4% of which goes to the treasury while the remaining 2.6% goes to the Urban Council. If we are going to talk about the 2.4%, it in fact has nothing to do with the financial provision allocated to the Council. As everyone is aware, the amount of rates revenue that goes to the Council has to be negotiated with the Secretary for the Treasury every three years. The last negotiation was held last year and it was decided that $18.6b would be allocated to the Council as the funding for the following triennium. The amount has been decided, no matter what the economic situation is. Even if the rates charge was increased or reduced, it would have nothing to do with the Council. I wish to clarify that this is an irrevocable fact.
MR. ERIC WONG CHUNG-KI (in Cantonese):-The Democratic Party does not agree with the legal advisor's view or the Chairman's proposal and insists that the motion be debated.
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