1996 — Page 407

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 407 of 498

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

451

Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. I can tell you clearly, Mr. Lee. the questions raised by you are being closely monitored by the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and a review will be conducted.

MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):—I would like to ask the Chairman Dr. LEUNG whether the problem identified by the Audit Department has to be referred back to the Public Accounts Committee for discussion. Does it mean that we will not have any figures today by way of response?

Chairman (in Cantonese):—The general procedure is that comments of the Audit Department on the Urban Council, such as comments on the URBTIX system, should first be discussed at the Public Accounts Committee before they are openly discussed. This is because the Public Accounts Committee should first of all make a fair judgement. The Committee should reach a conclusion on whether the comment is an accurate one before the whole thing is openly discussed. This is the normal practice.

MR. STANLEY NG WING-FAI (in Cantonese):—I refer to the reply by the Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee stating that in the last 3 years, the Council lost $110,000,000 over market rental, street traders criticized us for poor market management and citizens criticized over the cleanliness and damaged facilities of markets. I would like to know if the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee will conduct an overall review on such matters. Will the Select Committee consider conducting a review of markets managed by the Council from the angle of privatization? Will the review be one in the direction of narrow management or partial privatization, or will it be from a broad angle of privatizing market management?

MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—On the question of privatization, in fact we have plans to contract out certain services, small ones such as the control of cleanliness, at certain markets.

As to whether we need to privatize the management of all markets, it was discussed at the recent meeting of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. On this point, our major concern is our role as the statutory body to manage markets. For all this while, we have this social obligation to resite on-street hawkers to our market operation. We need to consider carefully the problems that may arise if we simply privatize the operation because the operation is different from that run under lease with no commitment whatsoever. On-street hawkers are moved into markets under conditional (resite) leases. Therefore, I cannot give Mr. NG a reply today on whether we will proceed in that direction. This is something for the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee to discuss. I can only say that the Select Committee did discuss the issue, but that there is yet to be a firm consensus. Further discussions will be held at the coming meetings of the Select Committee. If Mr. NG is interested, he can continue to monitor our discussion.

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Page 407 of 498 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 451 Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. I can tell you clearly, Mr. Lee. the questions raised by you are being closely monitored by the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and a review will be conducted. MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):—I would like to ask the Chairman Dr. LEUNG whether the problem identified by the Audit Department has to be referred back to the Public Accounts Committee for discussion. Does it mean that we will not have any figures today by way of response? Chairman (in Cantonese):—The general procedure is that comments of the Audit Department on the Urban Council, such as comments on the URBTIX system, should first be discussed at the Public Accounts Committee before they are openly discussed. This is because the Public Accounts Committee should first of all make a fair judgement. The Committee should reach a conclusion on whether the comment is an accurate one before the whole thing is openly discussed. This is the normal practice. MR. STANLEY NG WING-FAI (in Cantonese):—I refer to the reply by the Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee stating that in the last 3 years, the Council lost $110,000,000 over market rental, street traders criticized us for poor market management and citizens criticized over the cleanliness and damaged facilities of markets. I would like to know if the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee will conduct an overall review on such matters. Will the Select Committee consider conducting a review of markets managed by the Council from the angle of privatization? Will the review be one in the direction of narrow management or partial privatization, or will it be from a broad angle of privatizing market management? MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—On the question of privatization, in fact we have plans to contract out certain services, small ones such as the control of cleanliness, at certain markets. As to whether we need to privatize the management of all markets, it was discussed at the recent meeting of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. On this point, our major concern is our role as the statutory body to manage markets. For all this while, we have this social obligation to resite on-street hawkers to our market operation. We need to consider carefully the problems that may arise if we simply privatize the operation because the operation is different from that run under lease with no commitment whatsoever. On-street hawkers are moved into markets under conditional (resite) leases. Therefore, I cannot give Mr. NG a reply today on whether we will proceed in that direction. This is something for the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee to discuss. I can only say that the Select Committee did discuss the issue, but that there is yet to be a firm consensus. Further discussions will be held at the coming meetings of the Select Committee. If Mr. NG is interested, he can continue to monitor our discussion. Page 407 of 498 Page 407 of 498

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Page 407 of 498 Page 407 of 498 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 451 Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. I can tell you clearly, Mr. Lee. the questions raised by you are being closely monitored by the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and a review will be conducted. MR. LEE KWOk-keung (in Cantonese):—I would like to ask the Chairman Dr. LEUNG whether the problem identified by the Audit Department has to be referred back to the Public Accounts Committee for discussion. Does it mean that we will not have any figures today by way of response? Chairman (in Cantonese):—The general procedure is that comments of the Audit Department on the Urban Council, such as comments on the URBTIX system, should first be discussed at the Public Accounts Committee before they are openly discussed. This is because the Public Accounts Committee should first of all make a fair judgement. The Committee should reach a conclusion on whether the comment is an accurate one before the whole thing is openly discussed. This is the normal practice. MR. STANLEY NG WING-FAI (in Cantonese):—I refer to the reply by the Chairman of the Markets and Street Truders Select Committee stating that in the last 3 years, the Council lost $110,000,000 over market rental, street traders criticized us for poor market management and citizens criticized over the cleanliness and damaged facilities of markets. I would like to know if the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee will conduct an overall review on such matters. Will the Select Committee consider conducting a review of markets managed by the Council from the angle of privatization? Will the review be one in the direction of narrow management or partial privatization, or will it be from a broad angle of privatizing market management? MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-On the question of privatization, in fact we have plans to contract out certain services, small ones such as the control of cleanliness, at certain markets. As to whether we need to privatize the management of all markets, it was discussed at the recent meeting of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. On this point, our major concern is our role as the statutory body to manage markets. For all this while, we have this social obligation to resite on-street hawkers to our market operation. We need to consider carefully the problems that may arise if we simply privatize the operation because the operation is different from that run under lease with no commitment whatsoever. On-street_hawkers are moved into markets under conditional (resite) leases. Therefore, I cannot give Mr. NG a reply today on whether we will proceed in that direction. This is something for the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee to discuss. I can only say that the Select Committee did discuss the issue, but that there is yet to be a firm consensus. Further discussions will be held at the coming meetings of the Select Committee. If Mr. NG is interested, he can continue to monitor our discussion. Page 407 of 498 Page 407 of 498

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Page 407 of 498

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

451

MR. LEE KWOk-keung (in Cantonese):—I would like to ask the Chairman Dr. LEUNG whether the problem identified by the Audit Department has to be referred back to the Public Accounts Committee for discussion. Does it mean that we will not have any figures today by way of response?

MR. STANLEY NG WING-FAI (in Cantonese):—I refer to the reply by the Chairman of the Markets and Street Truders Select Committee stating that in the last 3 years, the Council lost $110,000,000 over market rental, street traders criticized us for poor market management and citizens criticized over the cleanliness and damaged facilities of markets. I would like to know if the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee will conduct an overall review on such matters. Will the Select Committee consider conducting a review of markets managed by the Council from the angle of privatization? Will the review be one in the direction of narrow management or partial privatization, or will it be from a broad angle of privatizing market management?

MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-On the question of privatization, in fact we have plans to contract out certain services, small ones such as the control of cleanliness, at certain markets.

As to whether we need to privatize the management of all markets, it was discussed at the recent meeting of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. On this point, our major concern is our role as the statutory body to manage markets. For all this while, we have this social obligation to resite on-street hawkers to our market operation. We need to consider carefully the problems that may arise if we simply privatize the operation because the operation is different from that run under lease with no commitment whatsoever. On-street_hawkers are moved into markets under conditional (resite) leases. Therefore, I cannot give Mr. NG a reply today on whether we will proceed in that direction. This is something for the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee to discuss. I can only say that the Select Committee did discuss the issue, but that there is yet to be a firm consensus. Further discussions will be held at the coming meetings of the Select Committee. If Mr. NG is interested, he can continue to monitor our discussion.

1996 — Page 407

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