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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
115
Government recently published the Consultation Document on the Review of District Organisations and proposed a short consultation period of 60 days from June to 31 July. The public consultation claim is a false one. There is already a predesigned aim, one of curtailing power. The Urban Council has become a scapegoat of the bird flu incident. Government proposed four options in the Consultation Document, but I do not support any one of them. Let me elaborate.
Option two proposes to dissolve the two municipal councils. It is simply grand retrogression of democracy. We all know of the undertaking for no change for 50 years when Hong Kong returned to China under one country two systems. That undertaking has now been betrayed. It has created a pounding effect on the development of our political system and tarnished the good image of Hong Kong,
Option three proposes to merge the two municipal councils and 18 district boards into 5 regional bodies. I have reservations regarding this. District boards are consultative bodies and a regional link in the system of representative government. Their role is to provide a channel of communication. They maintain very close relations with their respective districts so that district matters can be referred to central, or the Urban Council and the Legislative Council and so on for action. As such, it is not advisable to change the structure and role of district boards.
For lack of choice among the four options, the one to amalgamate the existing two municipal councils so as to save resources and streamline manpower sounds better because there will be more consistency in the implementation of municipal policies. However, the amalgamated body should continue to take up responsibility over food safety and environment health. These two functions should not be cut. I have no objection to a centralised government body to handle food and environmental health matters. Public representation should be included in that body and the participation of the Urban Council is important too. Only in this way will the system of monitoring be in place and transparency be increased. It will also prevent things being done in the dark. For one single body to be in charge of food safety and environmental health, the situation of having too many departments involved will be prevented. As the situation now stands, monitoring of food hygiene is carried out by different departments including the D of H, AFD, USD and RSD. The public are confused over the allocation of duties.
Mr. Chairman, any proposal beneficial to the public and constructive to the case in point will win my support. As put by the Chairman just now, Hong Kong has returned to China for little more than a year and there are many important matters to tackle. We have met with both internal and external problems. To name a few, there is the financial turmoil, unemployment, housing, education. At present, we are in a state of downturn. The latest
Page 94 of 606
Page 94 of 606