PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
(1) increase the number of hawkers;
(2) violate the hawker policy because of the possible need to issue hawker licences; and
(3) have implications on resources.
Perhaps I could provide some views on the point about the number of hawkers. At this time of economic recession, as witnessed by everyone and mentioned just now by Ms. Jennifer CHOW, more and more people have become illegal hawkers. Basically we have lost control over it and therefore, as far as the increasing number of hawkers is concerned, everyone is fully aware that the situation has got out of control.
As to the statement that if there was no Illuminated Night Fair, there would be no increase in the number of hawkers, the rationale is exactly the opposite. Why do we have to set up an Illuminated Night Fair? The idea of an Illuminated Night Fair is basically to lease a designated site to traders in the form of a contract. Neither the Council itself nor the policy on the issue of hawker licences would be involved. The approach of issuing lease contracts for one year after which renewal or otherwise will be decided has also addressed our concern for reprovisioning. The Department's concern about the liability for reprovisioning is therefore groundless. To cite just one of the many examples. When the contracts of the hawkers in the old Hawker Permitted Area on Reclamation Street were terminated, there was no condition for reprovisioning.
As for the implication on resources, the Department stated that we had been spending $940m every year in coping with the problem of hawkers. The use of resources is exactly the area over which the Council and the Department maintain opposite views. If the Department prefers the cat-after-mouse game by chasing after illegal hawkers all over Hong Kong, then no wonder it has to spend $940m every year. While attending to the problem of resettling licensed itinerant hawkers, we visited the nine District Boards in the urban area under the Council. Many asked the question that if there was a proposal for the setting up of stalls, say, in a venue of the Department, would management services be provided by the Department? Did it mean that if licensed hawkers were resettled in a park, the Department would undertake to provide proper management? Would the existence of licensed hawkers result in an increase of illegal hawkers? I have cited this example to show that the District Boards too are concerned about the Department's hawker control system. The idea of an Illuminated Night Fair is exactly the right way to group together the licensed and unlicensed hawkers systematically on a designated site for operation. This is a method ensuring systematic management.
Lastly, the Department proposed in the paper that we should consider setting up a flea market on the former Tamar base. The Department is still using the stalling technique. The idea of a flea market was brought up by us a long time ago and discussed over and over, with the Tamar base recommended
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