Page 46 of 498
Page 46 of 498
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As to how to select suitable streets, the Department should consider setting up work groups in districts and various constituencies of Members. Representatives of licenced hawkers, DB Members, Council Members concerned and officers of the Department should join together to consider whether frozen stalls in the district are bad for business. More suitable stalls should be located for itinerant hawkers to switch over to. I believe with elected Members within the working groups, hostility between the Department and hawkers will be reduced and the situation will be more beneficial for the implementation of our policy. Lately I have received complaints about our freezing hawker stalls and not offering them for tender. It was learnt that itinerant hawkers would not bid ‘doomed spots' either. In other words, we were accused of freezing a great deal of Council resources without offering services to the public. I feel that this policy should be rectified quickly. I support Mr. Ambrose CHEUNG for a review of our existing 1500 stalls. If members of the public are interested in bidding them for use whereas itinerant hawkers are not, they should be offered to the market as soon as possible. Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):—I think the spirit of Mr. Daniel WONG's motion is correct and it has given a direction for us to solve the problem of hawking licences from a positive approach. I went over the problem of hawking licences, rights and obligations in the Annual Debate, and I do not propose to repeat them here. I want to state why I am in support of Mr. WONG's motion. I think he has come up with a pro-active approach. In fact, when the Department gave replies to our questions, it was stated that more market stalls and on-street fixed pitches would be located for itinerant hawkers to choose from. The question is why our 1400 hawkers have not chosen them, so that the Department is stuck with around 1500 vacant stalls, a number above the total number of itinerant hawkers? People are not choosing the stalls. That is where the problem lies.
On this point, I think the Department should conduct a review when the motion was put. Firstly, whether the Department or the Council should adopt a carrot policy in eliminating licences for itinerant hawkers. A carrot policy attracts people to viable business venues in exchange for their licences. I think the carrot policy will be welcomed by itinerant hawkers. There is no reason why one who would refuse to choose a stall which is viable for business, fit for survival and able to let them maintain their business. If we put pressure or force them to hand over their rightful rights, the problem is going to be pushed further towards hostility and the extreme. Why is nobody interested in the 1500 stalls? It is worth our study. Are the 1500 stalls sufficiently attractive and adequate for itinerant hawkers to continue their business? That is an important direction for our consideration. In fact, a lot can still be done now. Why are we speaking against each other and not having a dialogue? I find that Members had our debates whereas the Department held its views. Itinerant hawkers too held to their ideas. So everyone spoke against each other and there was no
Page 46 of 498
Page 46 of 498
Page 46 of 498
Page 46 of 498
Page 46 of 498
46
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As to how to select suitable streets, the Department should consider setting up work groups in districts and various constituencies of Members. Representatives of licenced hawkers. DB Members, Council Members concerned and officers of the Department should join together to consider whether frozen stalls in the district are bad for business. More suitable stalls should be located for itinerant hawkers to switch over to. I believe with elected Members within the working groups, hostility between the Department and hawkers will be reduced and the situation will be more beneficial for the implementation of our policy. Lately I have received complaints about our freezing hawker stalls and not offering them for tender. It was learnt that itinerant hawkers would not bid ‘doomed spots' either. In other words, we were accused of freezing a great deal of Council resources without offering services to the public. I feel that this policy should be rectified quickly. I support Mr. Ambrose CHEUNG for a review of our existing I 500 stalls. If members of the public are interested in bidding them for use whereas itinerant hawkers are not, they should be offered to the market as soon as possible. Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):—I think the spirit of Mr. Danie! WONG's motion is correct and it has given a direction for us to solve the problem of hawking licences from a positive approach. I went over the problem of hawking licences, rights and obligations in the Annual Debate, and I do not propose to repeat them here. I want to state why I am in support of Mr. WONG's motion. I think he has come up with a pro-active approach. In fact, when the Department gave replies to our questions, it was stated that more market stalls and on-street fixed pitches would be located for itinerant hawkers to choose from. The question is why our 1 400 hawkers have not chosen them, so that the Department is stuck with around 1 500 vacant stalls, a number above the total number of itinerant hawkers? People are not choosing the stalls. That is where the problem lies.
On this point, I think the Department should conduct a review when the motion was put. Firstly, whether the Department or the Council should adopt a carrot policy in eliminating licences for itinerant hawkers. A carrot policy attracts people to viable business venues in exchange for their licences. I think the carrot policy will be welcomed by itinerant hawkers. There is no reason why one who would refuse to choose a stall which is viable for business, fit for survival and able to let them maintain their business. If we put pressure or force them to hand over their rightful rights, the problem is going to be pushed further towards hostility and the extreme. Why is nobody interested in the 1 500 stalls? It is worth our study. Are the 1 500 stalls sufficiently attractive and adequate for itinerant hawkers to continue their business? That is an important direction for our consideration. In fact, a lot can still be done now. Why are we speaking against each other and not having a dialogue? I find that Members had our debates whereas the Department held its views. Itinerant hawkers too held to their ideas. So everyone spoke against each other and there was no
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