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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
585
Mr. Chiang Sai-cheong (in Cantonese):—Thank you for Mr. Wu's two questions. With regard to the five-year programme of capital works, the WSD has been working according to schedule. I believe that the five-year forecast of revenue and expenditure will be completed in the coming September and it would have to be considered and endorsed by the Council before the Department is to negotiate with the Government on funding arrangements.
As for the second question, should the capital works projects of the Council be incorporated into the Government's Capital Works Programme, the projects would be carried out according to schedule subject to the availability of funds.
MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese):—I recall the last occasion when we talked about funding applications, it was around this time of the year when we received some figures. But why is it that so far this year we have not got any information in relation to the forecast?
MR. CHIANG SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):—I have mentioned just now that when we talked about funding, we would follow the normal working procedures of the Council's FIN S/C. That is, for every triennium concerned, negotiation with the Government on estimates and funding will be conducted in the period between October and December of the year prior to the triennium. It will be after September this year (the year prior to the coming triennium) that we are to talk to the Government about funding. The FIN S/C agreed to seek information from the Government on the rates grant to the Council on 31 May this year and we will be conducting negotiations with the Government on the grant of rates after the recess of the Legislative Council (LegCo) (and its Finance Committee).
Mr. Kam Nai-wai (in Cantonese):—The Chairman of the FIN S/C, I have a question in relation to the last point in your reply concerning capital works projects. You told us that if the two Municipal Councils were to be scrapped, the relevant capital works projects would be carried out as scheduled. I wonder if the FIN S/C has got some information from the Government? I have just made enquiries with Mr. WONG King-cheong, Chairman of the Capital Works Select Committee, and was told that some 80 capital works projects are scheduled to commence in the next three years, And we have reserved some $3.5 billion each year for these 80-odd capital works projects that will provide municipal facilities for members of the public. Mr. Chang, I have a question concerning the last point in your reply. You said that the Government would have a plan to proceed with our capital works projects should the two Municipal Councils be scrapped. Have you got some kind of commitment from the Government? Or will these capital works projects be incorporated in some other Government's Capital Works Programmes? As the Government's capital works projects are graded into
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