XN000022-1987-06-24 — Page 40

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1987

CALL TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS

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IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS,

IT IS NECESSARY TO STRENGTHEN THE VARIOUS COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AND ENHANCE THE COMMUNITICATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND THESE ORGANISATIONS, THE HON DESMOND LEE YU-TAI SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON AREA COMMITTEES, MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND OWNERS CORPORATIONS, MR LEE SAID THIS WAS TO ENSURE THAT VARIOUS CONSULTATIVE BODIES AND THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED COULD MEET THE WISHES OF THE PUBLIC AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE.

IT WOULD ALSO ASSURE THE SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT OF INCREASING PUBLIC SUPPORT, HE SAID.

ON AREA COMMITTEES, MR LEE SAID A GENERAL OBSERVATION WAS THAT OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION WITH AND ASSISTANCE TO THEM WERE VERY LIMITED AND WERE PROVIDED IN A RATHER PASSIVE MANNER.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT ALSO FAILED TO PROVIDE AREA COMMITTEES WITH THE MEANS TO COMMUNICATE WITH LOCAL ORGANISATIONS AND RESIDENTS.

"THE CRITERIA FOR APPOINTING AREA COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE NEVER PUBLISHED AND LOCAL RESIDENTS MAY NOT CONSIDER ALL OF THEM AS BEING SUFFICIENTLY REPRESENTATIVE."

MR LEE PROPOSED THAT APART FROM PUBLICISING THE APPOINTMENT CRITERIA, RELEVANT LOCAL BODIES SHOULD BE INVITED ΤΟ NOMINATE CANDIDATES.

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT DUE TO THE LACK OF ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THE AREA COMMITTEES HAD FAILED TO FULFIL THEIR ROLES SATISFACTORILY.

SOME AC MEMBERS FELT THAT THEIR VIEWS MIGHT NOT BE IMPLEMENTED CONSICENTIOUSLY BY THE GOVERNMENT.

"IT IS HOPED THAT IN FUTURE, THEIR VIEWS WILL BE PUT INTO ACTUAL PRACTICE TO INCREASE THE SENSE OF SATISFACTION OF MEMBERS FROM THEIR WORK," HE SAID.

ON MACS AND OCS, MR LEE SAID THERE WERE AT PRESENT 4,259 MACS AND 2,968 OCS IN HONG KONG, FORMED UNDER THE CO-ORDINATION OF THE DISTRICT OFFICES.

"BECAUSE OF

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