HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
349
for such a long time and continue to be responsible for such a thankless job? In the year 1996/97, the expenditure on hawker control alone has already amounted to $690 million. I feel very disappointed. Although we have invested a colossal amount of money in this area, the return rate is unsatisfactory. We are still at the end of our wit towards the problem of illegal hawkers. Although the Hawker Control Teams have made strenuous efforts to clear illegal hawkers resulting in an increase of prosecutions from 67,000 few years ago to 81,000 in 1995, the problem still exists. The issue of illegal hawkers is on newspapers almost every day. People wrote to the press complaining about illegal hawkers, thus tarnishing the image of the Council. We have to be bold and resolute in eradicating this problem. I hope that the Council would conduct a survey on hawker control later this year to solicit opinions from the Council and the itinerant hawkers, so as to assist the Council in formulating a long-term policy on hawker control. For example, we could consider the feasibility of adopting the measures taken by Singapore to impose a strict ban on illegal hawking activities? Of course, for effective implementation of such a policy, it is very important for the people to stop patronizing the illegal hawkers. The Government should consider establishing an inter-departmental working group consisting of representatives from the Labour Department, Employees' Retraining Board, etc., in an effort to assist hawkers in changing their jobs which in turn will contribute to the development of Hong Kong's economy.
Currently, the Architectural Services Department (ASD) is responsible for the design and construction of UC's capital works and for the installation of related maintenance facilities while the Council has to pay a certain amount of the cost, that is, 16% of the capital expenditure to ASD. Since we have already discussed whether the amount of expenditure was reasonable at the meeting of the Working Group concerned, I would not comment on this anymore. I only want to bring out one point in principle: the contractors undertaking UC projects under ASD supervision should be fined for excessive delay in completion whereas those completing projects on time should be given merits. A consensus has to be reached between the Working Group and ASD on the days of delay to be regarded as excessive. For example, in the past year, the completion dates of the 2 leisure pools at Jordan Valley and Hammer Hill Road, the Sai Wan Ho reclamation and the opening of the Film Archive were delayed for more than 4 months while the construction of the UC Complex in Chai Wan was deferred again and again. All these have caused inconvenience to the public and were not cost-effective.
Since the land in the urban area is very precious, I suggest that in planning the construction of municipal facilities, the Council should fully utilize the resources by building UC complexes with additional storeys for other purposes. A few years ago, a child who was left alone at home was involved in an accident. In view of that, I suggested at the annual debate that children playrooms should be provided in indoor games halls of the UC complexes so
Page 307 of 498
Page 307 of 498
Page 307 of 498
Page 307 of 498
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
349
for such a long time and continue to be responsible for such a thankless job? In the year 1996/97, the expenditure on hawker control alone has already amounted to $690 million. I feel very disappointed. Although we have invested a colossal amount of money in this area, the return rate is unsatisfactory. We are still at the end of our wit towards the problem of illegal hawkers. Although the Hawker Control Teams have made strenuous efforts to clear illegal hawkers resulting in an increase of prosecutions from 67 000 few years ago to 81,000 in 1995, the problem still exists. The issue of illegal hawkers is on newspapers almost everyday. People wrote to the press complaining about illegal hawkers, thus tarnishing the image of the Council. We have to be bold and resolute in eradicating this problem. I hope that the Council would conduct a survey on hawker control later this year to solicit opinions from the Council and the itinerant hawkers, so as to assist the Council in formulating a long term policy on hawker control. For example, we could consider the feasibility of adopting the measures taken by Singapore to impose a strict ban on illegal hawking activities? Of course, for effective implementation of such a policy, it is very important for the people to stop patronizing the illegal hawkers. The Government should consider establishing an inter-departmental working group consisting of representatives from the Labour Department, Employees' Retraining Board, etc., in an effort to assist hawkers in changing their jobs which in turn will contribute to the development of Hong Kong's economy.
Currently, the Architectural Services Department (ASD) is responsible for the design and construction of UC's capital works and for the installation of related maintenance facilities while the Council has to pay a certain amount of the cost, that is, 16% of the capital expenditure to ASD. Since we have already discussed whether the amount of expenditure was reasonable at the meeting of the Working Group concerned, I would not comment on this anymore. I only want to bring out one point in principle: the contractors undertaking UC projects under ASD supervision should be fined for excessive delay in completion whereas those completing projects on time should be given merits. A consensus has to be reached between the Working Group and ASD on the days of delay to be regarded as excessive. For example, in the past year, the completion dates of the 2 leisure pools at Jordan Valley and Hammer Hill Road, the Sai Wan Ho reclamation and the opening of the Film Archive were delayed for more than 4 months while the construction of the UC Complex in Chai Wan was deferred again and again. All these have caused inconvenience to the public and were not cost-effective.
Since the land in the urban area is very precious, I suggest that in planning the construction of municipal facilities, the Council should fully utilize the resources by building UC complexes with additional storeys for other purposes. A few years ago, a child who left alone at home was involved in an accident. In view of that, I suggested at the annual debate that children playrooms should be provided in indoor games halls of the UC complexes so
Page 307 of 498
Page 307 of 498
Page 307 of 498
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