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to speak about the stock exchange. However, I see the whole issue as too sensational. I am confident that competent individuals have been appointed to handle and review the whole situation and life can return to normal.
The instance of the stock exchange does bring something into focus, that is, the actual economic value of the stock exchange or the futures exchange to Hong Kong. How valuable is it to Hong Kong being a financial center or a regional center for Southeast Asia. Was it the stock exchange that made Hong Kong become a regional management center or a financial center and to have attracted major international companies to come to Hong Kong. I think not. International companies come to Hong Kong not because of our stock exchange but rather, because of our supremacy in infrastructure over other cities in Southeast Asia. The central location in Southeast Asia, the efficient harbour and the conveniently located and relatively efficient airport, the ability to communicate quickly and efficiently with the rest of the world, the wide use of the English language and an efficient workforce have been the major contributors to Hong Kong becoming an international financial center. This is what we need to focus on.
There has been an out-cry for direct elections in Hong Kong. Politicians would like to believe that a lot of people will leave Hong Kong if there are no direct elections. I happen to think quite the opposite. People will leave Hong Kong if Hong Kong does not offer stability and prosperity. If Hong Kong has stability and prosperity, those that have left will return. Whatever happens to politicians' minds without direct elections, Hong Kong can afford. What Hong Kong cannot afford is for the economic situation to deteriorate, to have 6.5 million people's jobs affected and our living standard going downhill. I therefore support that the government's focus should be on the total picture of how to maintain Hong Kong's stability and prosperity.
Hong Kong, at the moment, is in a unique situation and in a unique time. Hong Kong is at the doorstep of China and with China's desire to attract more foreign investment and China's increased foreign trade, Hong Kong should take full advantage of its unique situation at this unique time. With Taiwan coming into the picture, there should be more opportunities. Hence, Hong Kong government should focus on providing and creating what China lacks and needs. With 30 years of closed doors, China does not have in-depth knowledge of business management, business philosophy nor marketing skills. Hong Kong should focus itself on these. The education system in Hong Kong should therefore aim to produce people and skills that would make Hong Kong an important part in China's development:
providing foreign investors and China with what they need in relation to China's open policy;
providing management personnel that have capabilities in both English and Mandarin;
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- providing Hong Kong people with the administrative capabilities to assist foreign companies in their business ventures in China; and,
- expanding Hong Kong's marketing skills to increase the demand for products made in China or made in Hong Kong in the rest of the world. This I think should be our focus.
Stability has two aspects, environment and economic. Hong Kong should fight crime to ensure that it remains a safe place to live in. Hong Kong should also fight commercial crime and corruption to maintain a high business reputation for people to invest in. The Commercial Crime Bureau and the Independent Commission Against Corruption are important forces in maintaining our economic stability.
Mr. Chairman, with these words, I support the motion.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as I expected today most of the Elected Members would have a lot of things to say on the Urban Councillors' seats in the District Board and as I am the second last to speak, I would not have any more better ideas to offer than other Elected or Appointed Members. I would like to associate myself with all the remarks of my colleagues against the Secretary for District Administration and I now go on to my speech today.
In October last year, the Urban Council issued a 'White Paper', the report and recommendation of the Working Party on hawker policies which aroused wide concern. The 64 recommendations mentioned in the 'White Paper' are generally welcomed and appreciated by the public and different societies who think that the paper, which the Council has spent 3 years in preparing, studying and drafting, is a very good reference material for the solution of the long controversial hawker problem while making an important step forward in getting rid of illegal hawkers and tightening hawker management.
The 64 recommendations concern items like administration, reservation, management, elimination and financial resources and the important ones include: amending existing legislation, stepping up prosecution, preference issue of licences to newspaper hawkers to meet urgent needs, resuming the issue of licences on a limited basis, condoning dry goods hawkers to hawk in designated sites, strict elimination of illegal cooked food hawkers with handcarts, reimplementing ex-gratia payment scheme, clearance of cooked food stalls on streets, computerized recording of hawkers information, considering construction of markets on viable sites only, considering allocation of adequate resources to facilitate management and control of hawkers, etc.
Hawker is a highly complicated social problem, which can only be handled effectively by working along several lines. To solve the problem, there must be a good coordination between the formulation and implementation of policies.
Page 139 of 185
Page 139 of 185
268
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
to speak about the stock exchange. However, I see the whole issue as too sensational. I am confident that competent individuals have been appointed to handle and review the whole situation and life can return to normal.
The instance of the stock exchange does bring something into focus, that is, the actual economic value of the stock exchange or the futures exchange to Hong Kong. How valuable is it to Hong Kong being a financial center or a regional center for Southeast Asia. Was it the stock exchange that made Hong Kong become a regional management center or a financial center and to have attracted major international companies to come to Hong Kong. I think not. International companies come to Hong Kong not because of our stock exchange but rather, because of our supremacy in infrastructure over other cities in Southeast Asia. The central location in Southeast Asia, the efficient harbour and the conveniently located and relatively efficient airport, the ability to communicate quickly and efficiently with the rest of the world, the wide use of the English language and an efficient workforce have been the major contri- butors to Hong Kong becoming an international financial center. This is what we need to focus on.
There has been an out-cry for direct elections in Hong Kong. Politicians would like to believe that a lot of people will leave Hong Kong if there are no direct elections. I happen to think quite the opposite. People will leave Hong Kong if Hong Kong does not offer stability and prosperity. If Hong Kong has stability and prosperity, those that have left will return. Whatever happens to politician's minds without direct elections, Hong Kong can afford. What Hong Kong cannot afford is for the economic situation to deteriorate, to have 6.5 million peoples' jobs affected and our living standard going downhill. I therefore support that the government's focus should be on the total picture of how to maintain Hong Kong's stability and prosperity.
Hong Kong, at the moment, is in a unique situation and in a unique time. Hong Kong is at the door step of China and with China's desire to attract more foreign investment and China's increased foreign trade, Hong Kong should take full advantage of its unique situation at this unique time. With Taiwan coming into the picture, there should be more opportunities. Hence, Hong Kong government should focus on providing and creating what China lacks and needs. With 30 years of closed doors, China does not have indepth knowledge of business management, business philosophy nor marketing skills. Hong Kong should focus itself to these. The education system in Hong Kong should therefore aim to produce people and skills that would make Hong Kong an important part in China's development:
providing foreign investors and China with what they need in relation to China's open policy;
providing management personnel that have capabilities in both English and Mandarin;
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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269
- providing Hong Kong people with the administrative capabilities to assist
foreign companies in their business ventures in China; and,
- expanding Hong Kong's marketing skills to increase the demand for products made in China or made in Hong Kong in the rest of the world. This I think should be our focus.
Stability has two aspects, environment and economic. Hong Kong should fight crime to ensure that it remains a safe place to live in. Hong Kong should also fight commercial crime and corruption to maintain a high business reputation for people to invest in. The Commercial Crime Bureau and the Independent Commission Against Corruption are important forces in main- taining our economic stability.
Mr. Chairman, with these words, I support the motion.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as I expected today most of the Elected Members would have a lot of things to say on the Urban Councillors' seats in the District Board and as I am the second last to speak, I would not have any more better ideas to offer than other Elected or Appointed Members. I would like to associate myself with all the remarks of my colleagues against the Secretary for District Administration and I now go on to my speech today.
In October last year, the Urban Council issued a 'White Paper', the report and recommendation of the Working Party on hawker policies which aroused wide concern. The 64 recommendations mentioned in the 'White Paper' are generally welcomed and appreciated by the public and different societies who think that the paper, which the Council has spent 3 years in preparing, studying and drafting, is a very good reference material for the solution of the long controversial hawker problem while making an important step forward in getting rid of illegal hawkers and tightening hawker management.
The 64 recommendations concern items like administration, reservation, management, elimination and financial resources and the important ones include: amending existing legislation, stepping up prosecution, preference issue of licences to newspaper hawkers to meet urgent needs, resuming the issue of licences on a limited basis, condoning dry goods hawkers to hawk in designated sites, strict elimination of illegal cooked food hawkers with handcarts, reimple- menting ex-gratia payment scheme, clearance of cooked food stalls on streets, computerized recording of hawkers information, considering construction of markets on viable sites only, considering allocation of adequate resources to facilitate management and control of hawkers, etc.
Hawker is a highly complicated social problem, which can only be handled effectively by working along several lines. To solve the problem, there must be a good coordination between the formulation and implementation of policies.
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