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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Capital Works A number of Members have commented on the slippages in completing capital works projects in the past year. I also share the same concerns. The programme for the 5 years from 1995/96 to 1999/2000 comprises 116 capital works projects in various stages of construction (a vast commitment which can be fulfilled only if we can minimise, if not wholly eliminate, the causes for similar slippages in future. This Council and the Department must act in concert to closely monitor the progress of all the projects. In this regard, the proposed establishment of district groups consisting of Councillors and departmental staff would no doubt enhance their mutual understanding and achieve better management of the programme. I also fully agree with Members' view that we should take a more proactive, perhaps aggressive, approach in seeking allocation of land for constructing Council projects.
Hong Kong Stadium
In the past few years since the opening of the Hong Kong Stadium, the management of the Stadium has taxed our wisdom and efforts on various issues including the well-known pitch and noise problems. On the former problem, I am glad that the collaborated efforts of all parties have finally paid off and the pitch condition is now generally satisfactory. As for the latter, we are on course to identifying the way forward, through conducting an opinion poll among the residents concerned, about their views on staging concerts at the Stadium. The SCWC will discuss this issue and formulate policy for the future.
Clearly, the decision whether or not to allow staging of concerts at the Stadium will have significant effect on the Stadium's finance, a subject which was under intense discussion recently by the Board of Governors. It is my firm conviction that under the current self-financing policy, the Stadium accounts should be maintained on an accrual basis and kept separate from the Council budget. I would also assert unequivocally that the $175 million advance payment made by the Council for fitting-out the Stadium should be recovered from the profits derived from operating the Stadium. These matters are of paramount importance and call for careful deliberations. It is my unevadable responsibility, as Chairman, Urban Council, Chairman of the Board of Governors and Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, to ensure that any misunderstanding or misconception of the Stadium's financial arrangements are resolved at the earliest opportunity.
Politicisation of the Council
A few Members have referred in the speeches to the phenomenon that heated discussions have tended to prolong the duration of Committee meetings. This situation is not unexpected, since it is only natural that the injection of new blood following the constitutional change on 1 April 1995 should have brought in new perspectives and innovative thinking that would require thorough discussions. However, as I have stated previously on many various occasions,
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Page 415Page 416
Page 415 of 485
Page 415 of 485
6415 of 485
128
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Capital Works A number of Members have commented on the slippages in completing capital works projects in the past year. I also share the same concerns. The programme for the 5 years from 1995/96 to 1999/2000 comprises 116 capital works projects in various stages of construction (a vast commitment which can be fulfilled only if we can minimise, if not wholly eliminate. the causes for similar slippages in future. This Council and the Department must act in concert to closely monitor the progress of all the projects. In this regard, the proposed establishment of district groups consisting of Councillors and departmental staff would no doubt enhance their mutual understanding and achieve better management of the programme. I also fully agree with Members' view that we should take a more proactive, perhaps aggressive, approach in seeking allocation of land for constructing Council projects.
Hong Kong Stadium
In the past few years since the opening of the Hong Kong Stadium, the management of the Stadium has taxed our wisdom and efforts on various issues including the well known pitch and noise problems. On the former problem, I am glad that the collaborated efforts of all parties have finally paid off and the pitch condition is now generally satisfactory. As for the latter, we are on course to identifying the way forward, through conducting an opinion poll among the residents concerned, about their views on staging concerts at the Stadium. The SCWC will discuss this issue and formulate policy for the future.
Clearly, the decision whether or not to allow staging of concerts at the Stadium will have significant effect on the Stadium's finance, a subject which was under intense discussion recently by the Board of Governors. It is my firm conviction that under the current self-financing policy, the Stadium accounts should be maintained on an accrual basis and kept separate from the Council budget. I would also assert unequivocally that the $175 million advance payment made by the Council for fitting-out the Stadium should be recovered from the profits derived from operating the Stadium. These matters are of paramount importance and call for careful deliberations. It is my unevadable responsibility, as Chairman, Urban Council, Chairman of the Board of Governors and Chairman, Public Accounts Committee, to ensure that any misunderstanding or misconception of the Stadium's financial arrangements are resolved at the earliest opportunity.
Politicisation of the Council
A few Members have referred in the speeches to the phenomenon that heated discussions have tended to prolong the duration of Committee meetings. This situation is not unexpected, since it is only natural that the injection of new blood following the constitutional change on 1 April 1995 should have brought in new perspectives and innovative thinking that would require thorough discussions. However, as I have stated previously on many various occasions,
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