TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 1987
5
+THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN HONG KONG THAT CAMPAIGN POLICY AND DECISION-MAKING HAS TO A DEGREE BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THE HANDS OF OFFICIAL BODIES,+ MR SULKE SAID.
+I HOPE THAT IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE WE CAN STEP ASIDE AND TURN OVER THE CAMPAIGN TO THE PUBLIC,+ HE ADDED.
HE EMPHASISED THAT THE MOST EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGNS IN OTHER PLACES OF THE WORLD WERE INITIATED, LED AND FINANCED NOT BY GOVERNMENTS, BUT BY A BROAD CROSS SECTION OF THE SOCIETY.
IN HONG KONG, THE CLEANSING WORK IN ONE OF THE SQUATTER VILLAGES WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE. MR SULKE REVEALED THAT SINCE THE CLEANSING RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT VILLAGE WAS TRANSFERRED FROM THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO THE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE, THERE HAD BEEN CONSIDERABLE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CLEANLINESS.
THIS WAS UNDERSTANDABLE BECAUSE IF PEOPLE HAD TO CLEAN UP THE MESS THEMSELVES, THEY WOULD NOT LITTER IN THE FIRST PLACE, MR SULKE ADDED.
CITING HONOLULU
HAWAII AS AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID THAT THE CAMPAIGN WAS RUN BY THE GOVERNOR'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON LITTER CONTROL. THE COMMITTEE WAS CHAIRED BY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE LITTER-PRODUCING INDUSTRIES ON A ROTATION BASIS.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE CAME FROM RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS HAWAII VISITORS BUREAU, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SCOUTING AND OTHER YOUTH GROUPS, THE MILITARY, PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS, FAST FOOD, SNACK AND BEVERAGE ASSOCIATIONS, LABOUR UNIONS, RETAIL GASOLINE DEALERS AND EVEN REFUSE COLLECTION ASSOCIATIONS.
HE SAID THAT IN HONOLULU, WHICH RESEMBLED HONG KONG FOR BEING A TOURIST CENTRE WITH A MAJORITY POPULATION OF ASIAN, LITTER HAD BEEN REDUCED BY 40 PER CENT SINCE 1977.
THE SUCCESS OF THE CAMPAIGN IN 10 YEARS' TIME INDICATED THAT WHEN PEOPLE WERE GIVEN A SENSE OF BELONGING TO A GROUP, OF BEING PART OF THE LAND, THEY WOULD FEEL A SHARE OF RESPONSIBILITY IN SOLVING SOCIAL PROBLEMS.
MR SULKE ANTICIPATED THAT THE URBAN COUNCIL AND REGIONAL COUNCIL WOULD SPEND ABOUT $500 MILLION ON CLEANSING SERVICES THIS YEAR.
HOWEVER, IF LITTER COULD BE REDUCED ON THE SAME SCALE AS IN OTHER PLACES OF THE WORLD, HONG KONG RATEPAYERS WOULD SAVE A LARGE PART OF THE CLEANSING EXPENDITURE AMOUNTING TO ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE $500 MILLION,
/MR BULKE