Page 343 of 498
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Apart from expressing my regret, I am sorry about three things:
387
Firstly, as a member of the Review Select Committee which makes decisions on fixed pitch stall applications. I have seen many applicants who were unemployed or under-employed for a long period of time and others who were old or suffering from various diseases or shouldering a family burden so heavy that they have to strive for a living. These applicants failed to apply for a stall to make a living just because they had not shown up once or twice during the five on-the-spot freezing surveys conducted by the Urban Services Department under its reordering programme. I am really sorry to see that they have to carry on with their illegal operations after their applications were turned down! Just take the reordering survey exercise of illegal dry goods hawkers in the old Shamshuipo Market as an example, a total of 1,181 persons failed to meet the conditions laid down by the Urban Council for the issue of fixed pitch licences. Among them, 331 were recorded thrice in the on-the-spot operation surveys, 359 were recorded twice and 491 recorded once. These 1,000-odd people who unfortunately failed in their applications for legal operation because they could not meet the requirements of the Council finally became illegal hawkers in order to make a living and support their families. For these hard-working people who do not want to earn their bread by committing a crime, why doesn't the Hong Kong Government help them to seek employment? Why can't we provide them with a way out?
Secondly, the Hong Kong Government so far only spent a lot of public money to introduce stopgap measures without making any commitment to tackle our structural unemployment problems and deal with the employment needs of new immigrants. A sum of over $790 millions was spent in 1995/96 to combat illegal hawking activities. It is estimated that the expenditure in this area will rise by 19.8% to over $950 millions for 1996/97. As there are 6 million people in Hong Kong, each will have to bear a cost of over $130 per year.
Thirdly, regarding the fact that increase in the number of illegal hawkers and illegal hawking blackspots has created employment opportunities, we can only say that it is a forceful irony to the wrong policy of the Hong Kong Government. At present, the Urban Services Department employs about 1,500 members of the Hawker Control Teams to combat illegal hawking activities. But in view of the increasing illegal hawking blackspots in the urban areas (a total of 368), all local District Boards complain about the situation and strongly demand for an increase in manpower to tackle the problem. However, even if the Council sets up 5 additional teams in the coming year, the problem will still remain unsolved. Comparing with the situation in Singapore where only 36 persons are employed to undertake hawker control duties of the whole country, we can clearly see that it is absolutely impossible to eradicate the problem of illegal hawkers by just asking the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department to increase manpower and step up enforcement actions. The problem of illegal hawkers cannot be eradicated unless the Central
Page 343 of 498
Page 343 of 498
Page 343 of 498
Page 343 of 498
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Apart from expressing my regret, I am sorry about three things:
387
Firstly, as a member of the Review Select Committee which makes decisions on fixed pitch stall applications. I have seen many applicants who were unemployed or under-employed for a long period of time and others who were old or suffering from various diseases or shouldering a family burden so heavy that they have to strive for a living. These applicants failed to apply for a stall to make a living just because they had not shown up once or twice during the five on-the-spot freezing surveys conducted by the Urban Services Department under its reordering programme. I am really sorry to see that they have to carry on with their illegal operations after their applications were turned down! Just take the reordering survey exercise of illegal dry goods hawkers in the old Shamshuipo Market as an example, a total of 1 181 persons failed to meet the conditions laid down by the Urban Council for the issue of fixed pitch licences. Among them, 331 were recorded thrice in the on-the-spot operation surveys. 359 were recorded twice and 491 recorded once. These 1 000-odd people who unfortunately failed in their applications for legal operation because they could not meet the requirements of the Council finally became illegal hawkers in order to make a living and support their families. For these hard-working people who do not want to earn their bread' by committing a crime, why doesn't the Hong Kong Government help them to seek employment? Why can't we provide them with a way out?
Secondly, the Hong Kong Government so far only spent a lot of public money to introduce stopgap measures without making any commitment to tackle our structural unemployment problems and deal with the employment needs of new immigrants. A sum of over $790 millions was spent in 1995/96 to combat illegal hawking activities. It is estimated that the expenditure in this area will rise by 19.8% to over $950 millions for 1996/97. As there are 6 million people in Hong Kong, each will have to bear a cost of over $130 per year.
Thirdly, regarding the fact that increase in the number of illegal hawkers and illegal hawking blackspots has created employment opportunities, we can only say that it is a forceful irony to the wrong policy of the Hong Kong Government. At present, the Urban Services Department employs about 1 500 members of the Hawker Control Teams to combat illegal hawking activities. But in view of the increasing illegal hawking blackspots in the urban areas (a totaling 368), all local District Boards complain about the situation and strongly demand for an increase in manpower to tackle the problem. However, even if the Council sets up 5 additional teams in the coming year, the problem will still remain unsolved. Comparing with the situation in Singapore where only 36 persons are employed to undertake hawker control duties of the whole country, we can clearly see that it is absolutely impossible to eradicate the problem of illegal hawkers by just asking the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department to increase manpower and step up enforcement actions. The problem of illegal hawkers cannot be eradicated unless the Central
Page 343 of 498
Page 343 of 498
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