Page 68 of 485
46
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
more successful. The above is only a suggestion. I think in the long term there should be a plan to deal with the problem, e.g. by means of increasing the establishment of enforcement personnel. More manpower resources should be given so that there is no excuse on grounds of inadequate manpower. To a certain extent, retraining scheme can help to reduce the problem of unlicensed hawkers. In directing its effort to solve the problem of unlicensed hawkers, can the Government try to attract unlicensed hawkers to give up hawking and switch to more profitable or productive jobs? If unlicensed hawkers are provided with other options they are more willing to change to more productive jobs. So the Administration should provide active retraining programme for workers and collaborate with the Labour Department to assist unlicensed hawkers who are willing to find a job. With the provision of job opportunities and retraining programme, hawkers may be able to find jobs and that will help to reduce the problem of unlicensed hawkers. I support Mr. Wong's motion that the Department should step up control against unlicensed hawkers, but I have reservation on enacting legislation to give priority to and to safeguard the opportunity of local workers and to discontinue the importation of overseas labour. I think this is outside the ambit of the Council and that is not the only way to solve the problem. It may be counter-productive. So we have to be very careful.
MR. TIM S. MANUEL CHAN (in Cantonese): Thank you Mr. Chairman. First I have to thank Mr. WONG for this very difficult task of relating the issue of importation of labour with the problem of unlicensed hawkers. He has been able to highlight the problem of unlicensed hawkers and link it up with the importation of labour. As far as I understand, before the introduction of the importation of labour scheme, we already had the problem of unlicensed hawkers. As a result of influx of more foreign workers, local workers faced greater pressure in finding jobs. I think that as far as the unemployment problem is concerned, the Government should bear the major responsibility. If you look back a few years ago in the early 1990s Hong Kong's economy was booming and businessmen like myself operating a small property company were faced with a high wastage rate of employees. We could not recruit workers easily. At that time the Government lacked confidence and was shortsighted. Under the pressure of some businessmen or interest groups in LegCo, the Government agreed to the importation of foreign labour in the past few years. However, the economy has its ups and downs cycle. If you look at what happened since last year, and into the foreseeable future, actually the economy has been and would remain sluggish. The latest employment figures prove that what I said was right and workers are facing a lot of difficulties in finding employment. When the new airport project was contemplated there was high hope that Hong Kong people would have more confidence in their future and they would have greater employment opportunity, and they would be able to share the fruit of success. But regrettably this has not materialized. Recently I have heard a rumour, which may be true. A company informed us that they needed 500 units in a housing estate on an outlying island. Local workers have
Page 68 of 485
Page 68 of 485
Page 68 of 485
46
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
more successful. The above is only a suggestion. I think in the long term there should be a plan to deal with the problem, e.g. by means of increasing the establishment of enforcement personnel. More manpower resources should be given so that there is no excuse on grounds of inadequate manpower. To a certain extent, retraining scheme can help to reduce the problem of unlicensed hawkers. In directing its effort to solve the problem of unlicensed hawkers, can the Government try to attract unlicensed hawkers to give you hawking and switch to more profitable or productive jobs? If unlicensed hawkers are provided with other options they are more willing to change to more productive jobs. So the Administration should provide active retraining programme for workers and collaborate with the Labour Department to assist unlicensed hawkers who are willing to find a job. With the provision of job opportunitics and retraining programme, hawkers may be able to find jobs and that will help to reduce the problem of unlicensed hawkers. I support Mr. Wong's motion that the Department should step up control against unlicensed hawkers, but I have reservation on enacting legislation to give priority to and to safeguard the opportunity of local workers and to discontinue the importation of overseas labour. I think this is outside the ambit of the Council and that is not the only way to solve the problem. It may be counter-productive. So we have to be very careful.
MR. TIM S. MANUEL CHAN (in Cantonese):-Thank you Mr. Chairman. First I have to thank Mr. WONG for this very difficult task of relating the issue of importation of labour with the problem of unlicensed hawkers. He has been able to highlight the problem of unlicensed hawkers and link it up with the importation of labour. As far as I understand, before the introduction of the importation of labour scheme, we already had the problem of unlicensed hawkers. As a result of influx of more foreign workers, local workers faced greater pressure in finding jobs. I think that as far as the unemployment problem is concerned, the Government should bear the major responsibility. If you look back a few years ago in the early 1990s Hong Kong's economy was booming and businessmen like myself operating a small property company were faced with a high wastage rate of employees. We could not recruit workers easily. At that time the Government lacked confidence and was shortsighted. Under the pressure of some businessmen or interest groups in LegCo, the Government agreed to the importation of foreign labour in the past few years. However, the economy has it's ups and downs cycle. It you look at what happened since from last year, and into the foreseeable future, actually the economy has been and would remain sluggish. The latest employment figures prove that what I said was right and workers are facing a lot of difficulties in finding employment. When the new airport project was contemplated there was high hope that Hong Kong people would have more confidence in their future and they would have greater employment opportunity, and they would be able to share the fruit of success. But regrettably this has not materialized. Recently I have heard a rumour, which may be true. A company informed us that they needed 500 units in a housing estate on an outlying island. Local workers have
Page 68 of 485
8 of 485
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.