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market traders, which in turn discourages licensed hawkers from moving into markets. Take the example of some old markets in the Eastern District, many stall tenants complain of poor management, silted drains, poor cleaning, water accumulated everywhere and the lack of a ventilation system. The bad smell in Summer months in particular drives shoppers away. Many stall tenants say they would rather use stalls as storerooms and go out to the streets to operate alongside itinerant hawkers. Such problems actually occur in many markets. For example, I suggested at the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee meeting for a rental review for market stalls at the Electric Road Market which is within the constituency I represent. We hope that the Department will refrain from increasing stall rental before there is any improvement on operating conditions. We ask for reasonable rental and we hope that rental will be frozen pending improvements. Stall operators have continued to reflect to us that the present rate of rental increase is too high and unreasonable. They say so because the trading conditions in the markets do not match the rental increase. As I know, our present rental adjustments make reference to the rental value of shopping arcades in the vicinity. We have not taken into account the poor trading conditions in the markets or the inability of stall tenants to pay fair rent. This ends up in a vicious cycle. Some traders have to increase prices, but then fewer people shop at their stalls and business suffers more. This will only result in more on-street hawkers and the creation of more problems. It is in fact contrary to the original intention of the Urban Council in building markets.
I think an overall review of the rental policy is really necessary. I support a full review of our rental policy and I hope we can conduct annual reviews to pinpoint problems so that traders can enjoy favourable trading conditions within the Council markets at a reasonable rate of rental. It will help them make a living. With these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the present market rental policy and adjustment formula adopted by the Urban Council have for a long time been heavily criticized by market traders. The Council has been kept busy recently by the plight of many petitioners including Urban Market Traders Mutual Aid Committees, Hong Kong and Kowloon Market Traders Unions Joint Association, Hong Kong and Kowloon Market Traders Fraternity Club and their affiliated unions. They are criticizing our market rental policy as a blow to the normal operations of traders, an encouragement to itinerant hawkers, a lowering of the competitiveness of UC markets and a heavier burden on our citizens. I think such criticisms are very reasonable and that the Urban Council should consider the views of market traders. I believe by continuing to adopt the current market rental policy and adjustment formula, the Urban Council will not be able to rectify shortcomings in our two basic policy directions.
£498
Page 176 of 498
170 of 498
Page 176 of 498
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market traders, which in turn discourages licensed hawkers from moving into markets. Take the example of some old markets in the Eastern District, many stall tenants complain of poor management, silted drains, poor cleaning, water accumulated everywhere and the lack of a ventilation system. The bad smell in Summer months in particular drives shoppers away. Many stall tenants say they would rather use stalls as storerooms and go out to the streets to operate alongside itinerant hawkers. Such problems actually occur in many markets. For example, I suggested at the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee meeting for a rental review for market stalls at the Electric Road Market which is within the constituency I represent. We hope that the Department will refrain from increasing stall rental before there is any improvement on operating conditions. We ask for reasonable rental and we hope that rental will be frozen pending improvements. Stall operators have continued to reflect to us that the present rate of rental increase is too high and unreasonable. They say so because the trading conditions in the markets do not match the rental increase. As I know, our present rental adjustments make reference to the rental value of shopping arcades in the vicinity. We have not taken into account the poor trading conditions in the markets or the inability of stall tenants to pay fair rent. This ends up in a vicious cycle. Some traders have to increase prices, but then fewer people shop at their stalls and business suffers more. This will only result in more on-street hawkers and the creation of more problems. It is in fact contrary to the original intention of the Urban Council in building markets.
I think an overall review of the rental policy is really necessary. I support a full review of our rental policy and I hope we can conduct annual reviews to pinpoint problems so that traders can enjoy favourable trading conditions within the Council markets at a reasonable rate of rental. It will help them make a living. With these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the present market rental policy and adjustment formula adopted by the Urban Council have for a long time been heavily criticized by market traders. The Council has been kept busy recently by the plight of many petitioners including Urban Market Traders Mutual Aid Committees, Hong Kong and Kowloon Market Traders Unions Joint Association, Hong Kong and Kowloon Market Traders Fraternity Club and their affiliated unions. They are criticizing our market rental policy as a blow to the normal operations of traders, an encouragement to itinerant hawkers, a lowering of the competitiveness of UC markets and a heavier burden on our citizens. I think such criticisms are very reasonable and that the Urban Council should consider the views of market traders. I believe by continuing to adopt the current market rental policy and adjustment formula, the Urban Council will not be able to rectify shortcomings in our two basic policy directions.
£498
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