XN000022-1982-09-10 — Page 5

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1982

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CHANCE FOR PEOPLE TO SHOW CONCERN

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A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL TODAY (FRIDAY) SAID SEPTEMBER 23 POLLING DAY FOR THE URBAN DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS — WOULD OFFER A +GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO SHOW THEIR CONCERN IN COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON NORTH, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY (ADMINISTRATION) OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR HAIDER BARMA, SAID VOTING IN THE ELECTIONS WAS AN ASPECT OF +COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION WHICH WOULD ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PUBLIC OPINION WHEN FORMULATING MEANINGFUL AND EFFECTIVE POLICIES,

MR BARMA EMPHASISED THE VERY IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT AVENUE OF TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC OR INDIVIDUALS COULD AND SHOULD CONTRIBUTE BY VOICING THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT TOPICAL ISSUES OR OTHER MATTERS WHICH WERE OF CONCERN TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

+ IT IS ONLY THROUGH SUCH FEEDBACK THAT THE GOVERNMENT CAN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT PUBLIC OPINION AND COMMENT IN DETERMINING MEANINGFUL AND EFFECTIVE POLICIES, HE SAID.

+THE VERY FACT THAT HONG KONG DOES NOT HAVE AN ELECTED GOVERNMENT MAKES IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO BE RESPONSIVE TO PUBLIC OPINION. INDEED, IT IS A TWO-WAY PROCESS, INVOLVING BOTH THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT.+

MR BARMA SAID THERE WERE MANY CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH THE PEOPLE COULD VOICE THEIR OPINIONS, THE LATEST AND THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT BEING THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME WITH DISTRICT BOARDS WHICH ENABLED PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TO HAVE A DIRECT SAY IN LOCAL OR DISTRICT AFFAIRS.

+AS AND WHEN NECESSARY, OUR DISTRICT STAFF CAN SOUND OUT LOCAL ORGANISATIONS AND DISTRICT BOARDS ON CURRENT ISSUES, LOCAL PROBLEMS OR POLICY PROPOSALS.

+ IN TURN, THE COMMENTS AND VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE THEN CHANNELLED BACK TO THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED SO THAT THESE CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BEFORE POLICY IS FORMULATED OR ACTION TAKEN, HE ADDED.

HE SAID THE CNTA WAS A FRONTLINE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT AND ONE OF ITS KEY RESPONSIBILITIES WAS TO MONITOR PUBLIC OPINION.

FIELD STAFF IN THE 18 DISTRICT OFFICES-EIGHT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES REGION AND 10 IN THE CITY REGION WERE IN DIRECT DAY-TO-DAY CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVED AND WORKED IN THE IR DISTRICTS, WHILE PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS PROVIDED A FOCAL CONTACT POINT FOR ENQUIRIES AND COMPLAINTS.

+LAST FINANCIAL YEAR THEY DEALT WITH OVER 10 MILLION ENQUIRIES THIS ENABLED US TO GAUGE WHAT SORT OF SERVICES ARE REQUIRED AND WHAT THE MOST TYPICAL TYPE OF COMPLAINT IS.

+THROUGH OUR CONTACT WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, WE CAN PURSUE FOLLOW-UP ACTION AND ALSO COLLATE VIEWS WE HAVE OBTAINED, HE SAID.

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