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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LAWRENCE H. L. FUNG seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I beg to second the motion.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
3. MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:-
'RESOLVED that the Abattoirs (Amendment) By-laws 1983 be made under section 77 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132'.
He said (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee, I rise to move the motion standing in my name:-
'RESOLVED that the Abattoirs (Amendment) By-laws 1983 be made under Section 77 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, (Chapter 132)'.
The purpose of the amendment by-laws is to provide for an increase in fees for the slaughter of animals. With effect from April 1, 1983, all slaughter fees at the Urban Council's two abattoirs will be increased as shown in the schedule. The increased fees will bring in about $123 million to match the estimated expenditure in the abattoirs for the financial year in 1983-84 which will keep the abattoirs self-financing.
If the abattoirs fail to pay for themselves, they will need to be subsidized from the Council's other sources of revenue.
The cost of operating the two abattoirs has risen from an estimate of $107.6 million at the end of the current financial year to $123 million in 1983–84. The rise in expenditure over the years has mainly been due to increased costs of staff and maintenance. One of the main factors contributing to the high estimated expenditure for 1982-83 and 1983-84 is a large increase in maintenance costs for equipment and buildings.
Staff remuneration is another factor contributing to the rise in expenditure. Staff in the abattoirs have to work both day and night shifts to supply fresh meat for marketing hours, especially for the early mornings, to meet the preference of much of the local community, which chooses to have fresh meat for its meals, even though it would be more economical if families switched to frozen meat.
I think it is nevertheless necessary to put these increases in perspective, as they are not as alarming as they might at first appear. The present average retail price of pork and beef is $19.8 and $28 per kg (i.e. $12 and $16.9 per catty) respectively, and it is estimated that increases in fees as proposed would cause a maximum increase in retail prices of about 17¢ a kg (10¢ a catty) for pork and about 36¢ a kg (22¢ a catty) for beef.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
a maximum increase in retail prices of about 17¢ a kg (10¢ a catty) for pork and about 36¢ a kg (22¢ a catty) for beef.
Sir, I beg to move.
MR. AUGUSTINE S. K. CHUNG, Vice-Chairman OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, in the capacity of the Vice-Chairman of the relevant select committee, I second the motion.
MR. SULKE (in English):-Sir, although I support the principle that Council must recover its expenses in the abattoirs because we cannot really subsidize the meat trade, I think it is very sad that because of the increasing labour costs, in spite of the present bad economic times we have to raise our charges and the meat trade will obviously pass this increase on to the public so that fresh meat prices will be raised by somewhere between 10 cents and 22 cents a catty, or, if you want to be metric about it, by between 17 cents and 36 cents a kilogram.
I think, however, it should be made clear to the public and to the meat trade that the high cost of operating our abattoirs is due to market demands. Because the public wants fresh quivering meat early in the morning, it means the abattoirs have to work through the night at very high overtime rates, and because we have inherited a peculiar meat trade structure, it means that we have to have 150 additional workers who do nothing else but make sure that the meat and entrails going out to the trader are the same as the live animal he brought in. This is a terribly old fashioned and complicated method which costs this Council no less than HK$6 million per annum which is a great deal of money.
Sir, I understand that we will soon have to replace our abattoirs because the machinery is wearing out and the drainage systems cannot cope, and this will increase abattoir costs even more. I think it is time that in co-operation with the meat trade we look at ways of rationalizing our abattoir methods and make it clear to the public that part of the high cost of buying fresh meat is caused by their own habits.
I believe that the need for a reorganization of the use of labour in our abattoirs is obvious and I trust that the Departmental staff concerned will look at this matter carefully.
Sir, with these words I support the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-MR. CHUNG, you have seconded the motion and you reserve your right to speak until now?
MR. CHUNG (in English):--Yes, Mr. Chairman, at this time of recession, people were very sensitive to the word 'increase'. We wish that certain due publicity can be given to the public that the actual increase is very small, and it is in response or in maintenance of the need of the people who need fresh meat, so people can
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Page 129 of 142
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LAWRENCE H. L. FUNG seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I beg to
second the motion.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
3. MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:-
'RESOLVED that the Abattoirs (Amendment) By-laws 1983 be made under section 77 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132'.
He said (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee, I rise to move the motion standing in my
name:-
'RESOLVED that the Abattoirs (Amendment) By-laws 1983 be made under Section 77 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, (Chapter 132)'.
The purpose of the amendment by-laws is to provide for an increase in fees for the slaughter of animals. With effect from April 1, 1983, all slaughter fees at the Urban Council's two abattoirs will be increased as shown in the schedule. The increased fees will bring in about $123 million to match the estimated expenditure in the abattoirs for the financial year in 1983-84 which will keep the abattoirs self-financing.
If the abattoirs fail to pay for themselves, they will need to be subsidized from the Council's other sources of revenue.
The cost of operating the two abattoirs has risen from an estimate of $107.6 million at the end of the current financial year to $123 million in 1983–84. The rise in expenditure over the years has mainly been due to increased costs of staff and maintenance. One of the main factors contributing to the high estimated expenditure for 1982-83 and 1983-84 is a large increase in maintenance costs for equipment and buildings.
Staff remuneration is another factor contributing to the rise in expenditure. Staff in the abattoirs have to work both day and night shifts to supply fresh meat for marketing hours, especially for the early mornings, to meet the preference of much of the local community, which chooses to have fresh meat for its meals, even though it would be more economical if families switched to frozen meat.
I think it is nevertheless necessary to put these increases in perspective, as they are not as alarming as they might at first appear. The present average retail price of pork and beef is $19.8 and $28 per kg (i.e. $12 and $16.9 per catty) respectively, and it is estimated that increases in fees as proposed would cause
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
a maximum increase in retail prices of about 17¢ a kg (10¢ a catty) for pork and about 36¢ a kg (22¢ a catty) for beef.
Sir, I beg to move.
MR. AUGUSTINE S. K. CHUNG, Vice-Chairman OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, in the capacity of the Vice-Chairman of the relevant select committee, I second the motion.
MR. SULKE (in English):-Sir, although I support the principle that Council must recover its expenses in the abattoirs because we cannot really subsidize the meat trade, I think it is very sad that because of the increasing labour costs, in spite of the present bad economic times we have to raise our charges and the meat trade will obviously pass this increase on to the public so that fresh meat prices will be raised by somewhere between 10 cents and 22 cents a catty, or, if you want to be metric about it, by between 17 cents and 36 cents a kilogram.
I think, however, it should be made clear to the public and to the meat trade that the high cost of operating our abattoirs is due to market demands. Because the public wants fresh quivering meat early in the morning, it means the abattoirs have to work through the night at very high overtime rates, and because we have inherited a peculiar meat trade structure, it means that we have to have 150 additional workers who do nothing else but make sure that the meat and entrails going out to the trader are the same as the live animal he brought in. This is a terribly old fashioned and complicated method which costs this Council no less than HK$6 million per annum which is a great deal of money.
Sir, I understand that we will soon have to replace our abattoirs because the machinery is wearing out and the drainage systems cannot cope, and this will increase abattoir costs even more. I think it is time that in co-operation with the meat trade we look at ways of rationalizing our abattoir methods and make it clear to the public that part of the high cost of buying fresh meat is caused by their own habits.
I believe that the need for a reorganization of the use of labour in our abattoirs is obvious and I trust that the Departmental staff concerned will look at this matter carefully.
Sir, with these words I support the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-MR. CHUNG, you have seconded the motion and you reserve your right to speak until now?
MR. CHUNG (in English):--Yes, Mr. Chairman, at this time of recession, people were very sensitive to the word 'increase'. We wish that certain due publicity can be given to the public that the actual increase is very small, and it is in response or in maintenance of the need of the people who need fresh meat, so people can
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