WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1985
34
COUNCIL HOLDS FIRST BUSINESS MEETING
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THE LEVEL OF HONORARIA AND OFFICE RENTAL ALLOWANCE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL WERE DECIDED AT ITS FIRST BUSINESS MEETING TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
A PROPOSED ALLOWANCE OF $28 000 PER MONTH FOR THE COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, $14 000 FOR THE VICE-CHAIRMAN AND $7 000 FOR ALL THE ORDINARY MEMBERS WAS ACCEPTED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THE LEVEL REPRESENTED ABOUT 75 PER CENT THAT OF THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN THE URBAN COUNCIL.
+ THE SLIGHTLY LOWER HONORARIA WAS PROPOSED ON THE BASIS THAT MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL WOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO PERFORM THE FULL RANGE OF FUNCTIONS OF THE IR COUNTERPARTS IN THE URBAN AREAS, A COUNCIL SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE EXPLAINED THAT MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME DELEGATED STATUTORY POWERS OR FINANCIAL AUTHORITY OVER EXPENDITURE SINCE THE COUNCIL WILL BE ONLY PROVISIONAL AND ADVISORY IN NATURE IN ITS FIRST YEAR.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE 13 SELECT COMMITTEES OF THE URBAN COUNCIL HELD AN AVERAGE OF 330 MEETINGS A YEAR AND IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL WERE UNLIKELY TO REACH ANYWHERE NEAR THIS LEVEL IN ITS FIRST YEAR OF EXISTENCE.
IN ARRIVING AT THE LEVEL OF HONORARIA, THE COUNCIL ALSO TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE AMOUNT OF TRAVELLING EXPENSES PER JOURNEY LIKELY TO BE INCURRED BY MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL MAY BE GREATER THAN THAT OF THEIR URBAN COUNCIL COUNTERPARTS OWING TO THE GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.
A MAXIMUM OF $1 750 PER MONTH IN OFFICE RENTAL ALLOWANCE WAS ALSO PROPOSED FOR MEMBERS OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL, COMPARED TO THE $2 000 FOR THEIR URBAN COUNCIL COUNTERPARTS.
IN EXPLAINING THE DISCREPANCY, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED TO THE GENERALLY LOWER RENT LEVELS FOR OFFICE PREMISES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES COMPARED TO SIMILAR ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE OLD URBAN AREAS OF HONG KONG AND KOWLOON.
DURING THE 1-1/2-HOUR MEETING, THE COUNCIL ALSO DISCUSSED THE STANDING ORDERS WHICH GOVERN THE PROCEEDINGS OF COUNCIL MEETINGS SUCH AS THE RULES OF CONDUCTING A MEETING, OF DEBATE, OF VOTING, LINES OF AUTHORITY AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO COUNCIL PROCEDURES.
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