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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL

very handsome income from rates and it is extremely unreasonable for it not to grant supplementary provision to the Council, which is tightening its belt. For 1997/98, the Central Government had an income of $5.48b from rates alone after giving the Urban Council its share, not to mention the income of $12.5b from Crown rent in the next three years.

Mr. Chairman, we are faced with difficulties on all fronts. While we could not pretend that we know nothing about the people's financial difficulties, any attempt to alleviate them would likely result in a financial crisis on the part of the Council. The Government has not given any assurance of further financial provision either. Consequently our reserves would dwindle, the space for manoeuvre, diminish and our financial crisis, worsen. Hence, at the same time when we seek to freeze increases in charges, we must re-affirm our needs for supplementary provision.

Mr. Chairman, the Democratic Party wishes to stress that as all the other motions simply aim at freezing and reducing the charges concerned without mentioning the need to seek funding from the Central Government to top up the Council's financial shortfall, the ultimate victims would be but the general public. It would therefore be an irresponsible act if the Urban Council endorsed these motions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

MR. STANLEY NG WING-FAI (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I second Mr. WONG Chung-ki's motion.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Thank you. As further amendments to Mr. WONG Chung-ki's motion were proposed by Mr. TAM Kwok-kiu under Standing Order 21(12A), would Mr. TAM present your amendments and speak?

(4)(c) Mr. Tam Kwok-kiu moved amendments to the original motion under Standing Order 21(12A) as follows:-

RESOLVED that the Council freeze charges for one year including licence fees, venue hire charges and market stall rentals, etc and examine the reduction of rentals charged to the stall lessees of the Council's markets and cooked food centres, in order not to increase the burden of different businesses and trades and the living expenses of citizens; at the same time, the Council also urge the Central Government to allocate funds to make up for the deficits arising from the freezing of charges, in order to maintain the Council's services and the progress of capital works projects.'

He said (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman and Members, spring is here but after the financial turmoil, every business and trade must have gone through a bitter winter in terms of

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