XN000022-1985-02-08 — Page 8

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1985

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NEED FOR CLOSER WORKING TIES STRESSED

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IT WAS ESSENTIAL FOR DISTRICT BOARDS TO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH UNDER- STANDING AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA COMMITTEES IF THEY ARE TO BECOME THE FOUNDATIONS OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING.

SIMILARLY, AREA COMMITTEES HAD TO REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE AREAS THEY REPRESENTED AND TO FORGE CLOSE LINKS WITH LOCAL ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND OWNERS CORPORATIONS, HE SAID.

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HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT REGULAR +COMMUNICATION MINARS WOULD BE ORGANISED BETWEEN DISTRICT BOARDS, AREA COMMITTEES AND MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES TO MAINTAIN A THREE-TIER OPERATION+ OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION.

THE FUNCTIONS OF THESE BODIES WOULD BE BROUGHT INTO FULL PLAY IN THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCAL POLITICAL STRUCTURE, HE ADDED.

MR AKERS-JONES WAS SPEAKING AT SEMINAR ON THE PROMOTION OF COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE KWUN TOE DISTRICT BOARD AND AREA COMMITTEES. +

MORE THAN 170 PEOPLE, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD AND 13 LOCAL AREA COMMITTEES ATTENDED THE SEMINAR TO DISCUSS COMMUNICATION CHANNELS BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE AREA COMMITTEES, AND WAYS TO IMPROVE THE IR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE SEMINAR, THE DEPUTY REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR ALBERT LAM, STRESSED THE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE OF AREA COMMITTEES.

+WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE IR TERMS OF REFERENCE IN 1981 TO INCLUDE PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, EVERY MATTER OF CONCERN AT THE AREA LEVEL THE AREA COMMITTEES HAVE ASSUMED A VITAL ROLE IN DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION,+ HE SAID.

+AS THE NEW TERM OF DISTRICT BOARDS WILL HAVE MORE RESPONSIBILITIES, THEY SURELY NEED THE CO-OPERATION AND SUPPORT OF THE AREA COMMITTEES TO FULFIL THE IR DUTIES,+ HE ADDED.

MR LAM NOTED THAT THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD HAD BEEN CONSULTING THE AREA COMMITTEES ON MANY LOCAL PROBLEMS LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT, TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT, AND TERRITORY— WIDE, ISSUES SUCH AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT,

HE HOPED THAT THE CLOSE LINKS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE FURTHER STRENGTHENED SO THAT LOCAL RESIDENTS' INTERESTS WOULD BE BETTER LOOKED AFTER.

TONIGHT'S SEMINAR WAS ORGANISED BY THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT OFFICE AND SPONSORED BY THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD.