1996 — Page 61

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

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Page 61 of 498

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):- Right. We can see that a market system favourable for business will have decisive effects on solving the hawking problem. However, apart from a few examples of success, the business environment in most of UC markets is very bad. Stall owners occupy the aisles without authorization and cause serious obstruction. There is poor sanitation resulting in rodents and other problems of hygiene. The maintenance of our markets is inadequate and the design and facilities there cannot cope with the practical needs of the tenants and the public. Illegal hawking activities are everywhere on the periphery of our markets, so much so that the attraction and competitiveness of UC markets have been on the decline. The business environment there has been directly damaged. Not only are we unable to provide a comfortable, clean and idealistic shopping environment, but we also make tenants lose a favourable operating environment. In fact, many traders resited in markets did not move in voluntarily. They were moved there because of clearance or hawker re-ordering exercises. Therefore, the Council should be morally responsible towards them. At present, they are offered privileges including below market rates of rent and priority in choosing stalls. In fact, the Council foots a large bill annually in respect of these matters.

Take 1994/95 for example, the subsidy towards market operations amounted to $28 million or 49% of our total expenditure. Low rent has obviously not made up for the unfavourable operating environment. Vacant stalls are found everywhere. Some tenants are even making use of stalls as store-rooms and going back to the streets to engage in illegal hawking activities. Those who have stayed on complain that the Council moved them into markets without providing them with suitable operating conditions. If the situation persists, it is on the one hand unfair to tenants, and in the long term, it generates resentment from hawkers not yet resited towards markets managed by the Council. As a result, they may not be willing to be resited. If that happens, we will be driven farther and farther away from our target of solving the hawking problem. Apart from unsatisfactory location, poor design and in orderly community planning, the situation is partly caused by confusion in market management and the lack of initiative to improve operation conditions.

From the management point of view, civil servants under the USD structure do not have the expertise to manage a market system to allow for free operation and continual betterment of operating conditions. It is of paramount importance to reform the management of market operations. As we all know, UC markets do not put commercial profit in the foremost. We seek to incorporate the above-mentioned community functions. At the same time, we understand fully the situation now faced by hawking traders. To protect their interests and to reach the anticipated target of our hawker policy, I think we should consider the practical circumstances and introduce a certain degree of commercial management and operations so as to break through the impasse now faced by the Council.

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Page Page or Page 61 of 498 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 61 MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):- Right. We can see that a market system favourable for business will have decisive effects on solving the hawking problem. However, apart from a few examples of success, the business environment in most of UC markets is very bad. Stall owners occupy the aisles without authorization and cause serious obstruction. There is poor sanitation resulting in rodents and other problems of hygiene. The maintenance of our markets is inadequate and the design and facilities there cannot cope with the practical needs of the tenants and the public. Illegal hawking activities are everywhere on the periphery of our markets, so much so that the attraction and competitiveness of UC markets have been on the decline. The business environment there has been directly damaged. Not only are we unable to provide a comfortable, clean and idealistic shopping environment, but we also make tenants lose a favourable operating environment. In fact, many traders resited in markets did not move in voluntarily. They were moved there because of clearance or hawker re-ordering exercises. Therefore, the Council should be morally responsible towards them. At present, they are offered privileges including below market rates of rent and priority in choosing stalls. In fact, the Council foots a large bill annually in respect of these matters. Take 1994/95 for example, the subsidy towards market operations amounted to $28 million or 49% of our total expenditure. Low rent has obviously not made up for the unfavourable operating environment. Vacant stalls are found everywhere. Some tenants are even making use of stalls as store-rooms and going back to the streets to engage in illegal hawking activities. Those who have stayed on complain that the Council moved them into markets without providing them with suitable operating conditions. If the situation persists, it is on the one hand unfair to tenants, and in the long term, it generates resentment from hawkers not yet resited towards markets managed by the Council. As a result, they may not be willing to be resited. If that happens, we will be driven farther and farther away from our target of solving the hawking problem. Apart from unsatisfactory location, poor design and in orderly community planning, the situation is partly caused by confusion in market management and the lack of initiative to improve operation conditions. From the management point of view, civil servants under the USD structure do not have the expertise to manage a market system to allow for free operation and continual betterment of operating conditions. It is of paramount importance to reform the management of market operations. As we all know, UC markets do not put commercial profit in the foremost. We seek to incorporate the above-mentioned community functions. At the same time, we understand fully the situation now faced by hawking traders. To protect their interests and to reach the anticipated target of our hawker policy, I think we should consider the practical circumstances and introduce a certain degree of commercial management and operations so as to break through the impasse now faced by the Council. Page 61 of 498

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Page Page or Page 61 of 498 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 61 MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):-Right. We can see that a market system favourable for business will have decisive effects on solving the hawking problem. However, apart from a few examples of success, the business environment in most of UC markets is very bad. Stall owners occupy the aisles without authorization and cause serious obstruction. There is poor sanitation resulting in rodents and other problems of hygiene. The maintenance of our markets is inadequate and the design and facilities there cannot cope with the practical needs of the tenants and the public. Illegal hawking activities are everywhere on the periphery of our markets, so much so that the attraction and competitiveness of UC markets have been on the decline. The business environment there has been directly damaged. Not only are we unable to provide a comfortable, clean and idealistic shopping environment, but we also make tenants lose a favourable operating environment. In fact, many traders resited in markets did not move in voluntarily. They were moved there because of clearance or hawker re- ordering exercises. Therefore, the Council should be morally responsible towards them. At present, they are offered privileges including below market rates of rent and priority in choosing stalls. In fact, the Council foots a large bill annually in respect of these matters. Take 1994/95 for example, the subsidy towards market operations amounted to $28 million or 49% of our total expenditure. Low rent has obviously not made up for the unfavourable operating environment. Vacant stalls are found everywhere. Some tenants are even making use of stalls as store-rooms and going back to the streets to engage in illegal hawking activities. Those who have stayed on complain that the Council moved them into markets without providing them with suitable operating conditions. If the situation persists, it is on the one hand unfair to tenants, and in the iong term, it generates resentment from hawkers not yet resited towards markets managed by the Council. As a result, they may not be willing to be resited. If that happens, we will be driven farther and farther away from our target of solving the hawking problem. Apart from unsatisfactory location, poor design and inorderly community planning, the situation is partly caused by confusion in market management and the lack of initiative to improve operation conditions. From the management point of view, civil servants under the USD structure do not have the expertise to manage a market system to allow for free operation and continual betterment of operating conditions. It is of paramount importance to reform the management of market operations. As we all know, UC markets do not put commercial profit in the foremost. We seek to incorporate the above-mentioned community functions. At the same time, we understand fully the situation now faced by hawking traders. To protect their interests and to reach the anticipated target of our hawker policy, I think we should consider the practical circumstances and introduce a certain degree of commercial management and operations so as to break through the impasse now faced by the Council. Page 61 of 498

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Page 61 of 498

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. LEE KWOK-KEUNG (in Cantonese):-Right. We can see that a market system favourable for business will have decisive effects on solving the hawking problem. However, apart from a few examples of success, the business environment in most of UC markets is very bad. Stall owners occupy the aisles without authorization and cause serious obstruction. There is poor sanitation resulting in rodents and other problems of hygiene. The maintenance of our markets is inadequate and the design and facilities there cannot cope with the practical needs of the tenants and the public. Illegal hawking activities are everywhere on the periphery of our markets, so much so that the attraction and competitiveness of UC markets have been on the decline. The business environment there has been directly damaged. Not only are we unable to provide a comfortable, clean and idealistic shopping environment, but we also make tenants lose a favourable operating environment. In fact, many traders resited in markets did not move in voluntarily. They were moved there because of clearance or hawker re- ordering exercises. Therefore, the Council should be morally responsible towards them. At present, they are offered privileges including below market rates of rent and priority in choosing stalls. In fact, the Council foots a large bill annually in respect of these matters.

Take 1994/95 for example, the subsidy towards market operations amounted to $28 million or 49% of our total expenditure. Low rent has obviously not made up for the unfavourable operating environment. Vacant stalls are found everywhere. Some tenants are even making use of stalls as store-rooms and going back to the streets to engage in illegal hawking activities. Those who have stayed on complain that the Council moved them into markets without providing them with suitable operating conditions. If the situation persists, it is on the one hand unfair to tenants, and in the iong term, it generates resentment from hawkers not yet resited towards markets managed by the Council. As a result, they may not be willing to be resited. If that happens, we will be driven farther and farther away from our target of solving the hawking problem. Apart from unsatisfactory location, poor design and inorderly community planning, the situation is partly caused by confusion in market management and the lack of initiative to improve operation conditions.

1996 — Page 61

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