XN000022-1984-06-24 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JUNE 24, 1984

GROUPS URGED TO SUPPORT BOARD

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DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS WERE URGED TODAY TO SUPPORT THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT BOARD SO THAT IT MAY BETTER CARRY OUT

ITS ROLE.

ALTHOUGH THE DISTRICT BOARD WAS THE FOCUS OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, IT WAS NOT THE ONLY ORGAN IN THE WHOLE CONCEPT, THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT OFFICER, MR LAM KAM-KWONG, SAID.

THERE WERE OTHER DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS, WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND OBJECTIVES, DIVERGING FROM THE DISTRICT BOARD - SUCH AS MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES, AREA COMMITTEES, OWNERS CORPORATIONS, VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, SCHOOLS, AND CLANSMEN'S AND KAIFONG ASSOCIATIONS, HE SAID.

MR LAM STRESSED THE NEED FOR CLOSER INTERGRATION AMONG THESE VARIOUS ORGANISATIONS.

THESE ORGANISATIONS, HE SAID, FORMED THE BACKBONE OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, BY TRANSMITTING PEOPLES' VIEWS TO THE DISTRICT BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATION.

MR LAM WAS SPEAKING ON THE ROLE OF AREA COMMITTEES IN THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION MACHINERY, AT A SEMINAR ORGANISED BY AREA COMMITTEES IN WAN CHAI.

AREA COMMITTEES, HE SAID, WOULD BE PLAYING A VITAL ROLE IN LINKING THE DISTRICT BOARD AND MAC'S AND OC's.

TOGETHER WITH OTHER LOCAL ORGANISATIONS, THE AREA COMMITTEES HAD LONG BECOME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY BUILDING MACHINERY, HE SAID.

+AREA COMMITTEES THEMSELVES ARE FORMAL AREA-BASED CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES AND PROVIDE A DIRECT CHANNEL FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DISTRICT AFFAIRS.

+THE AREA COMMITTEES IN WAN CHAI ACTUALLY COMPRISE A REPRESENTATIVE CROSS-SECTION OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, WITH MEMBERS COMING FROM A WIDE RANGE OF OCCUPATIONAL BACKGROUNDS WITH PROVEN COMMUNITY SERVICE RECORD AND PERSONAL QUALITIES.

+THEY INCLUDE SOCIAL WORKERS, HAWKERS, SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, BUSINESSMEN, EXECUTIVES AND WHITE COLLAR WORKERS, PROFESSIONALS AND EVEN HOUSEWIVES.

+THEY ARE WELL QUALIFIED TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL ADMINISTRATION, HE SAID.