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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
## MR. FAN KAM-PING (in Chinese):—
### Upgrading the managerial rank of recreational facilities
To promote recreational and sports activities, the Council has provided many recreational and sports facilities throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon during recent years. Facilities completed last year include To Kwa Wan Indoor Games Hall, Ngau Chi Wan Indoor Games Hall, indoor games halls in Urban Council Lockhart Road Complex and Urban Council Po On Road Complex, Boundary Street Indoor Games Hall No. 2, Harbour Road Indoor Games Hall, Kowloon Bay Sports Ground and Sham Shui Po Sports Ground. Besides renting these facilities to the public, the USD's recreation, amenities and sports offices of various districts also run elementary courses for various kinds of sports in these venues in order to promote recreational and athletic activities among the general public.
Construction cost of each of the facilities mentioned above amounts to tens of millions of dollars: the average cost of a self-contained indoor games hall is 20 million dollars, a sports ground costs over 20 million dollars while a swimming complex costs as high as 40 to 50 million dollars. Despite all these, Amenities Assistants responsible for the management work of the above facilities are only at ranks I, II and III while manager of a swimming complex is only ranked Senior Amenities Assistant. In the civil service, the rank of an Amenities Assistant I is equivalent to that of an overseer. This is a problem to which the Urban Council should pay great attention. During recent years, the Council has spent a huge sum of money to construct sports facilities, but managerial work of these expensive facilities are only undertaken by USD staff of a rank equivalent to that of an overseer.
In fact, with a constant growth in both living and educational standard, the general public is more demanding on the management standard of these better and more complicated facilities, so the Council should manage them in a professional way. In addition, simple questions in connection with their duties will turn complicated due to the relationship between District Boards and the Urban Council or the influence of district politics. It would be unfair if we expect a venue supervisor of a rank just equivalent to that of an overseer to manage the venue and its staff, to handle the above problems, and to do the kind of work which should be but has not been done by a manager, i.e., to study and implement policies to market his venue to district residents and related bodies, to promote and maintain the relationship between the venue and the district, and to handle political problems skilfully. Therefore, their rank should be upgraded.
The post of manager of several sports venues within a certain district should be filled by someone of, at least, the rank of an Amenities Officer I. For instance, an Amenities Officer I should be appointed the manager of the Wan Chai Sports Ground and the Harbour Road Indoor Games Hall to handle personnel and venue matters, to promote their usage, to establish close relationship with district residents and sports associations, to build up a good image for the Urban Council, and to skilfully handle related problems brought about by district politics.
It is only by professionally trained managerial staff that the greatest effect of these expensive and modern recreational and sports facilities of elaborate design can be brought into full play, and that the best service can be provided. And it is only by doing so that the policies of 'justification of expenditure' and 'promotion of cost-effectiveness' which the Council has been pursuing these years can be conformed to.
### Coordination of talents and the creation of a degree in sports
If the above recommendations are put into effect, there will be a great demand for excellent talents with professional qualifications in the management of recreational and sports facilities. Since the ideal candidate to fill the post of manager of these expensive facilities should have a degree in sports, which Hong Kong cannot provide at the moment, and a diploma in the management of recreational and sports facilities, the government should let the third University and other post-secondary colleges which are qualified to confer degrees run courses in sports or sports science.
Places of the suggested Faculty of Sports should be filled by young people with ability and interest in this field, so I support the idea of including sports into the syllabuses of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. To encourage potential young people who are keen at sports and aspire to pursue a career in the management of recreational and sports facilities to further their studies, it is hoped that not only will the Hong Kong University include art in the Arts Section when adopting the new admission requirements of 'a compulsory arts subject for science students and science subject for arts students' in 1993, but will also include sports in the subjects of both Arts and Science classes.
Mr. Chairman, I support your motion.
(The Hon. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN arrived at 2.45 p.m.)
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## MR. MARVIN K. T. CHEUNG (in English):—
Mr. Chairman, one of the stated aims of the Council being pursued by the Administration Select Committee is to keep under review the total number of staff required for existing and new projects or services and to search for ways and means to contain the growth of the department's establishment by examining more cost-effective ways of carrying out the Council's functions. In my opinion, this is the single most important task which the Council should focus its attention on in the coming years if the Council is to discharge its statutory duties properly.
The expenditure on personal emoluments for the current financial year is expected to be $1,340 million representing 62% of our total expenditure. This is an increase from $1,244 million from the preceding financial year and this figure is expected to increase by another $123 million to $1,463 million in the next financial year.
282
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. FAN KAM-PING (in Chinese):—
Upgrading the managerial rank of recreational facilities
To promote recreational and sports activities, the Council has provided many recreational and sports facilities throughout Hong Kong Island and Kowloon during recent years. Facilities completed last year include To Kwa Wan Indoor Games Hall, Ngau Chi Wan Indoor Games Hall, indoor games halls in Urban Council Lockhart Road Complex and Urban Council Po On Road Complex, Boundary Street Indoor Games Hall No. 2, Harbour Road Indoor Games Hall, Kowloon Bay Sports Ground and Sham Shui Po Sports Ground. Besides renting these facilities to the public, the USD's recreation, amenities and sports offices of various districts also run elementary courses for various kinds of sports in these venues in order to promote recreational and athletic activities among the general public.
Construction cost of each of the facilities mentioned above amounts to tens of millions of dollars: the average cost of a self-contained indoor games hall is 20 million dollars, a sports ground costs over 20 million dollars while a swimming complex costs as high as 40 to 50 million dollars. Despite all these, Amenities Assistants responsible for the management work of the above facilities are only at ranks I, II and III while manager of a swimming complex is only ranked Senior Amenities Assistant. In the civil service, the rank of an Amenities Assistant I is equivalent to that of an overseer. This is a problem to which the Urban Council should pay great attention. During recent years, the Council has spent a huge sum of money to construct sports facilities, but managerial work of these expensive facilities are only undertaken by USD staff of a rank equivalent to that of an overseer. In fact, with a constant growth in both living and educational standard, the general public is more demanding on the management standard of these better and more complicated facilities, so the Council should manage them in a professional way. In addition, simple questions in connection with their duties will turn complicated due to the relationship between District Boards and the Urban Council or the influence of district politics. It would be unfair if we expect a venue supervisor of a rank just equivalent to that of an overseer to manage the venue and its staff, to handle the above problems, and to do the kind of work which should be but has not been done by a manager, i.e., to study and implement policies to market his venue to district residents and related bodies, to promote and maintain the relationship between the venue and the district, and to handle political problems skilfully. Therefore, their rank should be upgraded. The post of manager of several sports venues within a certain district should be filled by someone of, at least, the rank of an Amenities Officer I. For instance, an Amenities Officer I should be appointed the manager of the Wan Chai Sports Ground and the Harbour Road Indoor Games Hall to handle personnel and venue matters, to promote their usage, to establish close relationship with district residents and sports associa- tions, to build up a good image for the Urban Council, and to skilfully handle
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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related problems brought about by district politics. It is only by professionally trained managerial staff that the greatest effect of these expensive and modern recreational and sports facilities of elaborate design can be brought into full play, and that the best service can be provided. And it is only by doing so that the policies of 'justification of expenditure' and 'promotion of cost-effectiveness' which the Council has been pursuing these years can be conformed to.
Coordination of talents and the creation of a degree in sports
If the above recommendations are put into effect, there will be a great demand for excellent talents with professional qualifications in the management of recreational and sports facilities. Since the ideal candidate to fill the post of manager of these expensive facilities should have a degree in sports, which Hong Kong cannot provide at the moment, and a diploma in the management of recreational and sports facilities, the government should let the third University and other post-secondary colleges which are qualified to confer degrees run courses in sports or sports science.
Places of the suggested Faculty of Sports should be filled by young people with ability and interest in this field, so I support the idea of including sports into the syllabuses of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. To encourage potential young people who are keen at sports and aspire to pursue a career in the management of recreational and sports facilities to further their studies, it is hoped that not only will the Hong Kong University include art in the Arts Section when adopting the new admission requirements of 'a com- pulsory arts subject for science students and science subject for arts students' in 1993, but will also include sports in the subjects of both Arts and Science classes.
Mr. Chairman, I support your motion.
(The Hon. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN arrived at 2.45 p.m.)
MR. MARVIN K. T. CHEUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, one of the stated aims of the Council being pursued by the Administration Select Committee is to keep under review the total number of staff required for existing and new projects or services and to search for ways and means to contain the growth of the department's establishment by examining more cost effective ways of carrying out the Council's functions. In my opinion, this is the single most important task which the Council should focus its attention on in the coming years if the Council is to discharge its statutory duties properly.
The expenditure on personal emoluments for the current financial year is expected to be $1,340 million representing 62% of our total expenditure. This is an increase from $1,244 million from the preceding financial year and this figure is expected to increase by another $123 million to $1,463 million in the next financial year.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.