HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
197
Traders Select Committee a 5-year forecast of revenue and expenditure proposing that the establishment of the Hawker Control Teams (HCTs) be increased from the existing 3,000 to 4,000 posts in the next five years. The related expenditure will be increased from $700 million to $900 million. I have the following questions:
(1) The hawker blackspots problem has not been totally resolved. What is the underlying cause? Please explain whether this is due to the need to improve the efficiency of HCTs' administration and work performance or a shortage of manpower.
(2) Please analyze the proposed increase in establishment of HCTs in the 5-year forecast of revenue and expenditure; for example, the annual rate of staff increase, the relative allocation of new recruits to each district and their respective duties.
(3) What are the expected effects and targets for increasing manpower? For instance, what is the target reduction of the existing hawkers and hawker blackspots in five years? What will be the level of reduced number of hawkers?
MR. IP KWOK-Chung, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE replied as follows (in Cantonese):—This question concerns projected increases in the establishment of HCTs over the next five years, in relation to Committee Paper MST/26/96 on 5-Year Forecast of Revenue and Expenditure approved by the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee (MSTSC) on 17 July 1996.
I should like to clarify that this Committee Paper did not seek approval for the creation of any posts over the next five years. The purpose of this Paper was to seek approval for additional funds for budgetary planning purposes to meet projected increases in establishment based on very preliminary views by the Department. Requests for the creation of additional posts will not be made to Council until the need has been fully established by the Department. Furthermore, the deployment for any such new posts will also require Council's approval.
Illegal hawking is a long-standing and complex problem in Hong Kong which cannot be resolved overnight. There are socio-economical factors which account for illegal hawking including new immigrants, unemployment levels and the low levels of fine usually imposed by courts, etc. The public tends to regard illegal hawking as a social crime rather than a criminal offence and thus has an ambivalent attitude to illegal hawking which is reflected in the relatively lenient treatment of illegal hawkers upon conviction. As such, it is never likely that this problem can be totally eradicated by enforcement action alone. The Council needs the full and sustained support of Government, the District Boards, the Courts as well as the general public in tackling this issue. Let us not forget that it takes two parties to conduct illegal hawking, the unlicensed hawker and the customer.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
197
Traders Select Committee a 5-year forecast of revenue and expenditure proposing that the establishment of the Hawker Control Teams (HCTs) be increased from the existing 3 000 to 4 000 posts in the next five years. The related expenditure will be increased from $700 million to $900 million. I have the following questions:
(1) The hawker blackspots problem has not been totally resolved. What is the underlying cause? Please explain whether this is due to the need to improve the efficiency of HCTs' administration and work performance or a shortage of manpower.
(2) Please analyze the proposed increase in establishment of HCTs in the 5.
year forecast of revenue and expenditure; for example, the annual rate of staff increase, the relative allocation of new recruits to each district and their respective duties.
(3) What are the expected effects and targets for increasing manpower? For instance, what is the target reduction of the existing hawkers and hawker blackspots in five years? What will be the level of reduced number of
hawkers?
MR. IP KWOK-Chung, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE replied as follows (in Cantonese);—This question concerns projected increases in the establishment of HCTs over the next five years, in relation to Committee Paper MST/26/96 on 5-Year Forecast of Revenue and Expenditure approved by the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee (MSTSC) on 17 July 1996.
I should like to clarify that this Committee Paper did not seek approval for the creation of any posts over the next five years. The purpose of this Paper was to seek approval for additional funds for budgetary planning purposes to meet projected increases in establishment based on very preliminary views by the Department. Requests for the creation of additional posts will not be made to Council until the need has been fully established by the Department. Furthermore, the deployment for any such new posts will also require Council's approval.
Illegal hawking is a long-standing and complex problem in Hong Kong which cannot be resolved overnight. There are socio-economical factors which account for illegal hawking including new immigrants, unemployment levels and the low levels of fine usually imposed by courts, etc. The public tends to regard illegal hawking as a social crime rather than a criminal offence and thus has an ambivalent attitude to illegal hawking which is reflected in the relatively lenient treatment of illegal hawkers upon conviction. As such, it is never likely that this problem can be totally eradicated by enforcement action alone. The Council needs the full and sustained support of Government, the District Boards, the Courts as well as the general public in tackling this issue. Let us not forget that it takes two parties to conduct illegal hawking, the unlicensed hawker and the customer.
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