THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1984

+DISTRICT BOARDS ACHIEVING AIM+

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DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE SUCCEEDED IN ACHIEVING WHAT THEY ARE TASKED TO DO, AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, MR Q.W. LEE, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

HE STRESSED THAT THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME IS THE GOVERNMENT'S ANSWER TO COPING WITH THE INCREASING COMPLEXITIES OF LIFE AND URBANISATION IN HONG KONG TODAY.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW OFFICE OF THE KWAI CHUNG SUB-DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS OF THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICE, MR LEE SAID THAT THE RAPID GROWTH OF NEW TOWNS POINTED TO THE NEED FOR MORE RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT.

+BUT OVER THE YEARS, IT HAS BEEN FELT IN ALL QUARTERS CONCERNED THAT IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR ONE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO ADEQUATELY LOOK AFTER A TERRITORY OF OVER FIVE MILLION PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.

+DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AIMS AT ACHIEVING CONSULTATION AND CO-ORDINATED ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

+AT THE CENTRE OF THE SCHEME ARE THE DISTRICT BOARDS WHICH CONSTITUTE THE LARGEST GROUP OF LOCAL ADVISORY BODIES IN THE TERRITORY.

+THE BOARDS ARE VIRTUALLY FREE TO DISCUSS ANY SUBJECT MEMBERS CONSIDERED TO BE AFFECTING THE WELL-BEINGS OF THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICTS, THUS PERFORMING AN ALL-EMBRACING ADVISORY FUNCTION ENSHRINED IN THE DISTRICT BOARD ORDINANCE.

+IN THE LAST 20 MONTHS OR SO SINCE THEY WERE FORMALLY ESTABLISHED, THE DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE PROVIDED SOME EXTREMELY USEFUL POINTERS FOR THE GOVERNMENT IN MAKING ITS IMPORTANT POLICIES. BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE HARD WORK OF MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS IN THIS RESPECT.+

HE SAID CREDIT MUST ALSO BE GIVEN TO DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE PROMOTION OF CULTURAL, RECREATIONAL AND SPORT ACTIVITIES AND IN THE MANY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AMID NUMEROUS OTHER PROJECTS OF VARIOUS NATURES.

ARE

+THUS FAR THE BOARDS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY INDEED ACHIEVING WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN MANDATED TO DO,+

IN PARTICULAR, HE PRAISED THE TSUEN WAN DISTRICT BOARD FOR ITS GOOD WORK IN PROMOTING SPORTS, CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, AND IN ORGANISING ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMES DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON.

+TO SUM UP, THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME PROVIDES FOR A SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS AND ALSO DRAWS THE ATTENTION OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TO THE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE.+

/MR LEE

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