Page 14 of 606
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
only exception seems to be cholera. Cases occurred every year and half of them were of a local source.
Mr. Chairman, cleanliness in Hong Kong has improved, but we should not rest on our laurels. We should continue to review and improve. Mr. TUNG Chee-hwa expressed special concern over this. The Joint Steering Committee has resolved to commission a survey consultant this year for a comprehensive review of past effectiveness, future policies and strategies. The aim is to cope with social development and re-launch the Campaign and activities.
'Hong Kong is our home and we are duty bound to join in and keep it clean'. If we want the Campaign to be effective, we must mobilise the entire community to participate. The first and foremost condition is for everyone in our community to see Hong Kong as our home. Only then will efforts and education to keep our home clean be effective. If only one person among us thinks the other way, the effect of the Campaign will definitely be affected. To keep the city and streets clean, posting bills in our streets is prohibited. However, in the past, we met with a lot of hindrances in enforcement of the law. As we all know, our streets are proliferated with publicity posters and banners of various political parties and election material of the candidates. Many of the candidates are party leaders and Legislative Council Members. When we take actions, people ask why some people can post bills but others cannot. They question if everyone is equal before the law and why some people have privileges. Indeed, circumstances create negative effects which affect the overall effectiveness of our operations.
Under Schedule 4 to Section 5A of the Magistrate's Ordinance (Cap 227), members of 11 Government departments are empowered to prosecute litter bugs. However, experience shows that the majority of prosecutions were made by staff of the two Municipal Services Departments. Effectiveness of prosecution is therefore undermined. Keeping our environment clean is a territory-wide task. Unfortunately, present efforts are too piecemeal. The two Municipal Services Departments are responsible for cleanliness in the urban and NT areas. The Housing Department is responsible for cleanliness within estates. The Marine Department is responsible for refuse at sea. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for cleanliness in our country parks and the Environmental Protection Department is tasked with refuse recycling and dumping. Hong Kong is a small place, but the task of cleanliness is put in the hands of too many departments. With each doing its own work, desired effects cannot be achieved.
I think the more ideal way is to assign one Government department or one Municipal Council to be wholly responsible for cleaning work now undertaken by different departments. It will be more cost-effective from the angles of resource allocation, work standards, policy setting and actual cleaning actions. Under the present arrangement, we can only call for thorough cooperation of
Page 14 of 606
age 14 of 606
Page 14 of 606
14
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
only exception seems to be cholera. Cases occurred every year and half of them were of a local source.
Mr. Chairman, cleanliness in Hong Kong has improved, but we should not rest on our laurels. We should continue to review and improve. Mr. TUNG Chee-hwa expressed special concern over this. The Joint Steering Committee has resolved to commission a survey consultant this year for a comprehensive review of past effectiveness, future policies and strategies. The aim is to cope with social development and re-launch the Campaign and activities.
'Hong Kong is our home and we are duty bound to join in and keep it clean'. If we want the Campaign to be effective, we must mobilise the entire community to participate. The first and foremost condition is for everyone in our community to see Hong Kong as our home. Only then will efforts and education to keep our home clean be effective. If only one person among us thinks the other way, the effect of the Campaign will definitely be affected. To keep the city and streets clean, posting bills in our streets is prohibited. However, in the past, we met with a lot of hindrances in enforcement of the law. As we all know, our streets are proliferated with publicity posters and banners of various political parties and election material of the candidates. Many of the candidates are party leaders and Legislative Council Members. When we take actions, people ask why some people can post bills but others cannot. They question if everyone is equal before the law and why some people have privileges. Indeed, circumstances create negative effects which affect the overall effectiveness of our operations.
Under Schedule 4 to Section SA of the Magistrate's Ordinance (Cap 227). members of 11 Government departments are empowered to prosecute litter bugs. However, experience shows that the majority of prosecutions were made by staff of the two Municipal Services Departments. Effectiveness of prosecution is therefore undermined. Keeping our environment clean is a territory-wide task. Unfortunately, present efforts are too piecemeal. The two Municipal Services Departments are responsible for cleanliness in the urban and NT areas. The Housing Department is responsible for cleanliness within estates. The Marine Department is responsible for refuse at sea. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for cleanliness in our country parks and the Environmental Protection Department is tasked with refuse recycling and dumping. Hong Kong is a small place, but the task of cleanliness is put in the hands of too many departments. With each doing its own work, desired effects cannot be achieved.
I think the more ideal way is to assign one Government department or one Municipal Council to be wholly responsible for cleaning work now undertaken by different departments. It will be more cost-effective from the angles of resource allocation, work standards, policy setting and actual cleaning actions. Under the present arrangement, we can only call for thorough cooperation of
Page 14 of 606
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.