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there is also another gap, that is, the gap between the wishes of the people for us to continue to provide cultural and recreational services, and also to improve the environment in which we live, and I think with the inauguration of district boards, these wishes and these demands will only continue to increase. So, therefore, there is an increasingly large gap between what the people want the Council to do and what the Council is able to do, given the resources. We have been very prudent in managing our affairs and, Mr. Chairman, you yourself last year, as Chairman of the Finance Committee, did play a leading role, in fact, we can perhaps say, a chopping role in trimming down the capital works programme in order to try and fit in with whatever resources we had. So if the Council is to continue to serve a meaningful purpose in Hong Kong, Mr. Chairman, I hope that you will put forward to the Government in very strong terms that if we are to play a meaningful role in the life of Hong Kong, we must be given the resources. In fact, if all of our income merely goes to paying staff to carry out work which is necessary, then the Urban Council will only be reduced to that of a shroff or cashier and will no longer be able to continue to play a leading role in the life in Hong Kong and continue to improve the livelihood of our community. With these words, I also support the motion.
Mr. CHUNG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I've recently read from the press release of the possibility of the Council's fall into a deficit of more than $500 million and there will probably be some general reaction that the Council have been very reckless in their spending. I think the Council owes the public a very good, strong and a very clear explanation as to how this has come to picture and I think we must let the public know clearly that the Council's biggest revenue is from the rates which is supposed to counter the inflation measure by estimates over the year. But the situation here is that, we understand a lot of reasons why Government delay the assessment of the vital value of property and I think that will continue for some time to come. So in this circumstance, why the Council cannot be privileged from suffering the inflation, we have to get some kind of compensation or remedial cost because of the handicap from the income because in our income we do not have the counter measure. For instance, like the reassessment, in every year, we put there and then the 5.5% increase; definitely is no way to compare with the inflation percentage. So I think we owe a duty to the public to explain to them clearly why this has come about the deficit, and then why we have to expand our projects as well to service the public because Hong Kong is a very dynamic city; development is very fast, so we have such a commitment or duty, and we cannot reduce our spending. We have to spend money according to such budget to cope with the development as well as to face the inflation. With that I support the motion. Thank you.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
101
ADJOURNMENT
-4:53 p.m.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-That concludes the business of this meeting. The Council stands adjourned until Tuesday, 8 December 1981 at 4:00 p.m.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER, HONG KONG
Page 71 of 146
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there is also another gap, that is, the gap between the wishes of the people for us to continue to provide cultural and recreational services, and also to improve the environment in which we live, and I think with the inauguration of district boards, these wishes and these demands will only continue to increase. So, therefore, there is an increasingly large gap between what the people want the Council to do and what the Council is able to do, given the resources. We have been very prudent in managing our affairs and, Mr. Chairman, you yourself last year, as Chairman of the Finance Committee, did play a leading role, in fact, we can perhaps say, a chopping role in trimming down the capital works programme in order to try and fit in with whatever resources we had. So if the Council is to continue to serve a meaningful purpose in Hong Kong, Mr. Chairman, I hope that you will put forward to the Government in very strong terms that if we are to play a meaningful role in the life of Hong Kong, we must be given the resources. In fact, if all of our income merely goes to paying staff to carry out work which is necessary, then the Urban Council will only be reduced to that of a shroff or cashier and will no longer be able to continue to play a leading role in the life in Hong Kong and continue to improve the livelihood of our community. With these words, I also support the motion.
Mr. CHUNG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I've recently read from the press release of the possibility of the Council's fall into a deficit of more than $500 million and there will probably be some general reaction that the Council have been very reckless in their spending. I think the Council owes the public a very good, strong and a very clear explanation as to how this has come to picture and I think we must let the public know clearly that the Council's biggest revenue is from the rates which is supposed to counter the inflation measure by estimates over the year. But the situation here is that, we understand a lot of reasons why Government delay the assessment of the vital value of property and I think that will continue for some time to come. So in this circumstance, why the Council cannot be privileged from suffering the inflation, we have to get some kind of compensation or remedial cost because of the handicap from the income because in our income we do not have the counter measure. For instance, like the reassessment, in every year, we put there and then the 5.5% increase; definitely is no way to compare with the inflation percentage. So I think we owe a duty to the public to explain to them clearly why this has come about the deficit, and then why we have to expand our projects as well to service the public because Hong Kong is a very dynamic city; development is very fast, so we have such a commitment or duty, and we cannot reduce our spending. We have to spend money according to such budget to cope with the development as well as to face the inflation. With that I support the motion. Thank you.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
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101
ADJOURNMENT ·
-4:53 p.m.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-That concludes the business of this meeting. The Council stands adjourned until Tuesday, 8 December 1981 at 4:00 p.m.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER. HONG KONG
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