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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
## ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): -The Debate on the Statement of Aims for 1997/1998 which was adjourned from Tuesday will now resume. I call on the first speaker, Mr. Wong Kwok-hing.
WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):--Two Urban Services Policies Relating to Labour Problems
Mr. Chairman, at this Annual Conventional Debate, I would like to bring up two urban services policies that are related to labour problems. I hope it would draw the attention of all Members of the Council and the Urban Services Department, and more importantly, the attention of the Hong Kong Government and the future government of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong so that they may take follow-up action on these issues.
The first one is the issue on unemployment and illegal hawkers.
To control and ban illegal hawking activities and thereby to maintain the operation order of urban streets has always been one of the important tasks of the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department. The Council also finds this task one of the most difficult to discharge successfully. It not only poses the most thorny problem but also draws the worst criticism from the public.
Ever since I took part in the work of Urban Council, I have pointed out that the problem of illegal hawkers is not only a management issue that affects the operation order of streets, but more importantly, the phenomenon of having illegal hawkers is also a social problem closely related to the issues of unemployment, population and changes in our industrial structure. I have therefore put forward the view that if the problem of illegal hawkers is to be tackled by the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department alone on a piecemeal basis, it will be of no avail. The only solution is to introduce stopgap measures and get at the root of the problem at the same time. This idea of mine has got the full support of my colleagues in the Council when the Council endorsed the first motion of the current term about 20 months ago. The motion urges the Hong Kong Government to get at the root of the problems of unemployment and under-employment and solve these problems practically so that the Urban Council will be able to exercise effective control on illegal hawking activities. The motion also asks the Urban Services Department to introduce rigorous stopgap measures to ban illegal hawking activities.
Although we have come to the third year since the Urban Council endorsed the above motion, the Hong Kong Government has not made a response whatsoever. The only report in response to the motion is about various stopgap improvement measures taken by the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department. Much to my regret, the Hong Kong Government has not seriously considered this official motion of the Urban Council and responded to it.
Page 342 of 498
Page 342 of 498
Page 342 of 498
386
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): -The Debate on the Statement of Aims for 1997/1998 which was adjourned from Tuesday will now resume. I call on the first speaker, Mr. Wong Kwok-hing.
WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):--Two Urban Services Policies Relating to Labour Problems
Mr. Chairman, at this Annual Conventional Debate, I would like to bring up two urban services policies that are related to labour problems. I hope it would draw the attention of all Members of the Council and the Urban Services Department. and more importantly, the attention of the Hong Kong Government and the future government of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong so that they may take follow-up action on these issues.
The first one is the issue on unemployment and illegal hawkers.
To control and ban illegal hawking activities and thereby to maintain the operation order of urban streets has always been one of the important tasks of the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department. The Council also finds this task one of the most difficult to discharge successfully. It not only poses the most thorny problem but also draws the worst criticism from the public.
Ever since I took part in the work of Urban Council, I have pointed out that the problem of illegal hawkers is not only a management issue that affects the operation order of streets, but more importantly, the phenomenon of having illegal hawkers is also a social problem closely related to the issues of unemployment, population and changes in our industrial structure. I have therefore put forward the view that if the problem of illegal hawkers is to be tackled by the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department alone on a piecemeal basis, it will be of no avail. The only solution is to introduce stopgap measures and get at the root of the problem at the same time. This idea of mine has got the full support of my colleagues in the Council when the Council endorsed the first motion of the current term about 20 months ago. The motion urges the Hong Kong Government to get at the root of the problems of unemployment and under-employment and solve these problems practically so that the Urban Council will be able to exercise effective control on illegal hawking activities. The motion also asks the Urban Services Department to introduce rigorous stopgap measures to ban illegal hawking activities.
Although we have come to the third year since the Urban Council endorsed the above motion, the Hong Kong Government has not made a response whatsoever. The only report in response to the motion is about various stopgap improvement measures taken by the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department. Much to my regret, the Hong Kong Government has not seriously considered this official motion of the Urban Council and responded to it.
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