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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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confidence in the Government is getting lower, a moderate option to fulfil expectations is best. So, we believe our counter proposal is an appropriate option.
I believe we should look for reliable and steady development on the foundation of history. For more than 100 years in the past, hygiene and municipal services have been under the ambit of the Urban Council. They still are. The experience of the Council and the goal to improve municipal services according to community needs are of great contribution to our society. Food hygiene and testing had in the past always been coordinated and carried out by the USD with the Urban Council in the policy making role. In those days, these were the most important functions of our work.
However, in the past decade, food hygiene and testing work became allocated to the Health Department and others with the Urban Council still in charge of environmental hygiene and education. Indeed, social development in the past decade was fast and government was unable to respond fast enough to many things. In view of no coordinating body for food hygiene, in recent years, there were instances of poor coordination, unclear delineation of duties and too many departments in charge of the same thing. The counter proposal (or the fifth option) we support seeks to reinstate or resume the role of the Council on food hygiene from a historical angle. We support additional mechanisms to build on a steady foundation so that our operations may be more efficient, consistent and professional.
We support the structure of One Council and One Department Three Functions. The most important department under this option will be that of hygiene services. It will recall food hygiene services presently scattered among several departments and put them under the coordination of the hygiene services faction of the USD. That faction will be under the supervision of the Urban Council. This arrangement will streamline the structure, centralise duties, conserve manpower and resources. In addition, putting professional people in charge of their professional duties will improve professional level and efficiency.
This option also enhances coordination and accountability. Food safety and environmental hygiene run along the same line and all along, the Environmental Health Branch of the USD has been responsible. There are over 10,000 staff members in the Branch. One can imagine the breadth of services covered. From the late eighties, the USD started to cooperate with the now obsolete Medical and Health Department on prevention of infectious diseases and food poisoning incidents. The USD also allocated funds to finance the establishment of the Hygiene Division under the D of H and gradually transferred the control of the import and export of food to that Department. That is why the remuneration of Health Inspectors of the Hygiene Division are paid under the account of the Urban Council. There are over 200 officers involved and the pay amounts to over $59 million. However,
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Page 92 of 606