TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1985
9
ON
URBCO OPENS DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES TO PUBLIC
******
THE URBAN COUNCIL IS OPENING UP ITS DOORS ON ITS DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING AND TO KEEP ABREAST WITH THE MORE OPEN FORM OF GOVERNMENT NOW EVOLVING IN HONG KONG, SAID ITS CHAIRMAN, MR HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, AT THE COUNCIL'S OPEN MONTHLY MEETING TODAY.
WOULD,
MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THAT IN FUTURE THE URBAN COUNCIL
AFTER COMPLETING ITS ROUTINE BUSINESS OF A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION AND RESOLVING NECESSARY ALTERATIONS TO VARIOUS BY-LAWS IN OPEN MEETING, FORMALLY GO INTO COMMITTEE IN PUBLIC, TOO.
+WHAT WE WILL BE GOING ON TO DISCUSS, THEREFORE, IS SOME OF THE DAY-TO-DAY SUBJECTS THAT ARE NORMALLY THRASHED OUT AND DECIDED AT THE FORTNIGHTLY MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL'S STANDING COMMITTEE, HE SAID.
+
+BECAUSE THE COUNCIL PUTS GREATER EMPHASIS ON THE DOING RATHER THAN THE SAYING, IT HAS IN THE PAST MADE A WIDE RANGE OF IMPORTANT DECISIONS AT THESE MEETINGS OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE HELD HERE IN THE URBAN COUNCIL CHAMBERS BUT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS NOT THAT ANY GREAT SECRETS WERE BEING DISCUSSED, RATHER SO THAT THE COUNCIL COULD PUSH AHEAD AS SWIFTLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE WITH OUR MANY RESPONSIBILITIES, HE SAID.
HE NOTED THAT THE COUNCIL NOW HAS 12 SELECT COMMITTEES, NINE SUB-COMMITTEES AND VARIOUS OTHER BOARDS, WORKING PARTIES AND ADVISORY PANELS THAT ARE MEETING AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH IF NOT MORE OFTEN.
AND NEVER A WORKING DAY PASSES WITHOUT THE URBAN COUNCIL BEING INVOLVED IN IMPORTANT MEETINGS COVERING THE MULTIPLICITY OF CIVIC DUTIES IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, HE ADDED.
-- SHALL!
+TODAY, HOWEVER, WE ARE LIVING IN A MORE SAY POLITICAL CLIMATE. THE MAN IN THE STREET WANTS TO KNOW MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE MATTERS WHICH AFFECT HIS DAY TO DAY DOINGS, AND TO BE SURE THAT HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE UPKEEP OF THIS GREAT CITY OF OURS IS BEING SPENT WISELY AND JUDICIOUSLY, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID.
+THE COUNCIL, IN RESPONSE TO THIS DEVELOPING TREND, IS GLAD TO BRING OUT INTO THE OPEN THE, SHALL I SAY, NUTS AND BOLTS OF ADMINISTERING URBAN HONG KONG AND PROVIDING NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL SERVICES BUT ALSO ON A CULTURAL AND SPORTING FRONT -- THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE TO OUR 4.5 MILLION URBAN DWELLERS.+
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