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have to rely on us, we can use the money saved for other community building purposes. The same may be applied to the other Urban Council performing companies such as the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Hong Kong Dance Company, Hong Kong Chorus and festivals such as Film Festival and Festival of Asian Arts to attract donations.
(2) These performing companies may recruit members and use the membership fees to arrange educational and art-related activities. This makes possible a wider introduction of art without posing an extra burden to the public.
(3) To lessen its financial burden, the Council should try hard to seek sponsorship for its capital works. Sponsorship from warm-hearted persons for the Urban Council Centenary Garden completed in 1983 and the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool Complex in Aberdeen completed in 1977 have saved us tens of millions of dollars. I suggest that when the Council plans a capital works project, it should at the same time try to find a sponsor for it. The money thus saved can be used to finance other projects and the building of urban facilities will be speeded up. As to minor projects for the districts, the Council should work with the District Boards to seek sponsorship from within the districts. Money pledged by sponsors should, of course, be exempt from tax.
(4) The Council should recruit more voluntary and part-time workers as to save its expenses. The Space Museum, Museums of Art and History, the future Museum of Science and Technology and libraries may recruit secondary and post-secondary college students to work as guides and demonstrators and be responsible for keeping order during holidays on a voluntary or part-time basis. This will enable the Council to improve its services without causing a large increase in staff expenditure. Through participating in voluntary services. Young people not only can increase their knowledge but will also have a stronger sense of belonging to Hong Kong.
(5) The Council's share of the rates will be raised from 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent in 1986/87. Half of the increased 1 per cent will be borne by the ratepayers when the government increases rate charges. In other words, people have to pay a higher percentage of rates in order to enjoy the services provided by the Council. Council facilities and services are of course worth having and people will probably accept the 0.5 per cent increase. But I think the government should relinquish its 2.5 per cent share of the 6 per cent rates and let the Council have all the revenue from the rates so that the Council will have enough funds to finance its services. There is no need to increase the burden on rate-payers. If the Regional Council can have all of the rate earnings in the New Territories, I see no reason why the Urban Council cannot have all of the rate earnings in the urban area.
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The second issue is about cleansing services, management of hawkers and parks etc. (which are largely responsibilities of the Council) in housing estates of the Housing Department. Originally, the housing estates should come under the Urban Council as was in the initial stage. It seems nowadays we have two departments within the Government tending to the same business. When there are two departments involved, problems arise. Take hawker control as an example, when Council staff go to the streets to clear away hawkers, the latter have only to retreat to some housing estates and they will be safe from arrest because housing estates are not under the jurisdiction of the Council. The other way round, when housing estate caretakers clear away hawkers, the latter have only to take to the streets to avoid arrest.
Many years ago, cleansing services, management of markets and sitting-out areas inside housing estates were undertaken by the Council. Then we began to have housing estates in the New Territories and cleansing services etc. became the responsibilities of individual housing estates. Now that the Regional Council has been set up to cater for the New Territories, cleansing services etc. in housing estates in the New Territories can be taken over by the Regional Council while the Urban Council takes over those in housing estates in the urban areas. This will avoid differences in policy and waste of resources due to the fact that people do not know what policy to follow.
The third issue I wish to discuss is consultation on market and hawker related policies. Having met some leaders of hawker associations and exchanged views with them, I find they accept on the whole the spirit of the consultative document which recognizes the role and function of hawkers in society and points the way that hawkers should not be treated as criminals. They have, however, put forward a few questions and views.
1.
2. If the hawker policies are passed, will they be applied to the New Territories as well?
How can the Council ensure fairness in the registration of hawkers? Hawker representative suggest holders of itinerant hawker licences be given priority in the registration process.
3. They fear that if licence fees become too high, those who cannot afford them will have no choice but to hawk illegally. The scheme of finding places for present illegal hawkers will then be damaged. They also think that the design of some markets is not very desirable and this has caused many a hawker to carry on business in the street, thus adding to the number of illegal hawkers.
4. They feel that the authorities concerned should consult the hawkers first before formulating any similar consultative document.
Finally, as Chairman of the Library Select Committee, I would like to say something about the development in library services. The Committee hopes to reach the following targets in the next few years:-
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have to rely on us, we can use the money saved for other community building purposes. The same may be applied to the other Urban Council performing companies such as the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Hong Kong Dance Company, Hong Kong Chorus and festivals such as Film Festival and Festival of Asian Arts to attract donations.
(2) These performing companies may recruit members and use the membership fees to arrange educational and art-related activities. This makes possible a wider introduction of art without posing an extra burden to the public.
(3) To lessen its financial burden, the Council should try hard to seek sponsorship for its capital works. Sponsorship from warm-hearted persons for the Urban Council Centenary Garden completed in 1983 and the Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool Complex in Aberdeen completed in 1977 have saved us tens of millions of dollars. I suggest that when the Council plans a capital works project, it should at the same time try to find a sponsor for it. The money thus saved can be used to finance other projects and the building of urban facilities will be speeded up. As to minor projects for the districts, the Council should work with the District Boards to seek sponsorship from within the districts. Money pledged by sponsors should, of course, be exempt from tax.
(4) The Council should recruit more voluntary and part-time workers as to save its expenses. The Space Museum, Museums of Art and History, the future Museum of Science and Technology and libraries may recruit secondary and post-secondary college students to work as guides and demonstrators and be responsible for keeping order during holidays on a voluntary or part-time basis. This will enable the Council to improve its services without causing a large increase in staff expenditure. Through participating in voluntary services. Young people not only can increase their knowledge but will also have a stronger sense of belonging to Hong Kong.
(5) The Council's share of the rates will be raised from 2.5 per cent to 3.5 per cent in 1986/87. Half of the increased 1 per cent will be borne by the ratepayers when the government increases rate charges. In other words, people have to pay a higher percentage of rates in order to enjoy the services provided by the Council. Council facilities and services are of course worth having and people will probably accept the 0.5 per cent increase. But I think the government should relinquish its 2.5 per cent share of the 6 per cent rates and let the Council have all the revenue from the rates so that the Council will have enough funds to finance its services. There is no need to increase the burden on rate-payers. If the Regional Council can have all of the rate earnings in the New Territories, I see no reason why the Urban Council cannot have all of the rate earnings in the urban area.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 110 of 195
189
The second issue is about cleansing services, management of hawkers and parks etc. (which are largely responsibilities of the Council) in housing estates of the Housing Department. Originally, the housing estates should come under the Urban Council as was in the initial stage. It seems nowadays we have two departments within the Government tending to the same business. When there are two departments involved, problems arise. Take hawker control as an example, when Council staff go to the streets to clear away hawkers, the latter have only to retreat to some housing estates and they will be safe from arrest because housing estates are not under the jurisdiction of the Council. The other way round, when housing estate caretakers clear away hawkers, the latter have only to take to the streets to avoid arrest.
Many years ago, cleansing services, management of markets and sitting-out areas inside housing estates were undertaken by the Council. Then we began to have housing estates in the New Territories and cleansing services etc. became the responsibilities of individual housing estates. Now that the Regional Council has been set up to cater for the New Territories, cleansing services etc. in housing estates in the New Territories can be taken over by the Regional Council while the Urban Council takes over those in housing estates in the urban areas. This will avoid differences in policy and waste of resources due to the fact that people do not know what policy to follow.
The third issue I wish to discuss is consultation on market and hawker related policies. Having met some leaders of hawker associations and exchanged views with them, I find they accept on the whole the spirit of the consultative document which recognizes the role and function of hawkers in society and points the way that hawkers should not be treated as criminals. They have, however, put forward a few questions and views.
1.
2.
If the hawker policies are passed, will they be applied to the New Territories as well?
How can the Council ensure fairness in the registration of hawkers? Hawker representative suggest holders of itinerant hawker licences be given priority in the registration process.
3. They fear that if licence fees become too high, those who cannot afford them will have no choice but to hawk illegally. The scheme of finding places for present illegal hawkers will then be damaged. They also think that the design of some markets is not very desirable and this has caused many a hawker to carry on business in the street, thus adding to the number of illegal hawkers.
4. They feel that the authorities concerned should consult the hawkers first
before formulating any similar consultative document.
Finally, as Chairman of the Library Select Committee, I would like to say something about the development in library services. The Committee hopes to reach the following targets in the next few years:-
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