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# PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
longer enjoyed their visits to Hong Kong because more Chinese is being used here. When they come to Hong Kong, the chance for them to read English is getting fewer. How are they, being foreigners, going to set up business here? They added that more foreign companies were considering and talking about moving to Singapore, where the main language is English. They also considered that the language level and the English standard of the people there better than those of the people here in Hong Kong. They said they were beginning to move some Asian headquarters to Singapore, while the offices in Hong Kong would only be used as sub-offices for the market in South China. Some would be moved to Shanghai. This has sounded the alarm over the employment of local people by international enterprises in Hong Kong. While I am sure that this would not affect the Council too much, there is no harm in considering ways to maintain Hong Kong's status as a metropolitan city, which would attract more foreign firms to Hong Kong and discourage the existing ones from leaving, because their departure would affect the employment of local people. A lot of people have been thrown out of employment because of the withdrawal of some Japanese banks from Hong Kong, which return to Japan. Many companies with foreign interests have also left Hong Kong for other places. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MS. ADA WONG YING-KAY (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, concerning Ms. Grace Au's motion. I am sure that we all support the spirit, but I do hope that she will prudently consider the contents of the motion. Her motion consists of two parts. The first part is about creating posts. The second part is about advancing some of the Council's projects.
The Council is vested with some administrative powers. We are empowered to formulate policies and create and review the establishment of the Urban Services Department. I believe that we must exercise these administrative powers prudently with a clear mind. For those which have far-reaching implications, particularly on public expenditure, I hope Members will think twice. For a long time, the cumbersome structure and establishment have been subjects of criticisms.
In the past we put forth motions to conduct an overall review of the Department's establishment in the hope of improving its cost-effectiveness and productivity. Although the motions were not endorsed, I remember that the Democratic Party too gave its support. We are often criticized by the Director of Audit because of the structure of the Department. The organizations of the Urban and Regional Services Departments are often criticized. There is the recent case of a lot of redundant cleaning workers in the Regional Services Department. And just last week, we unanimously objected to the USD proposal of setting up an ad hoc prosecution team just for the major clean Hong Kong campaign.
At present, staff emolument has taken up 55% of the total expenditure of the Council. All along, it has been my hope that we can consider the creation of
Page 62 of 606
Page 62 of 606.
84
RRRR
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
longer enjoyed their visits to Hong Kong because more Chinese is being used here. When they come to Hong Kong, the chance for them to read English is getting fewer. How are they, being foreigners, going to set up business here? They added that more foreign companies were considering and talking about moving to Singapore, where the main language is English. They also considered that the language level and the English standard of the people there better than those of the people here in Hong Kong. They said they were beginning to move some Asian headquarters to Singapore, while the offices in Hong Kong would only be used as sub-offices for the market in South China. Some would be moved to Shanghai. This has sounded the alarm over the employment of local people by international enterprises in Hong Kong. While I am sure that this would not affect the Council too much, there is no harm in considering ways to maintain Hong Kong's status as a metropolitan city. which would attract more foreign firms to Hong Kong and discourage the existing ones from leaving, because their departure would affect the employment of local people. A lot of people have been thrown out of employment because of the withdrawal of some Japanese banks from Hong Kong, which return to Japan. Many companies with foreign interests have also left Hong Kong for other places. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MS. ADA WONG YING-KAY (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, concerning Ms. Grace Au's motion. I am sure that we all support the spirit, but I do hope that she will prudently consider the contents of the motion. Her motion consists of two parts. The first part is about creating posts. The second part is about advancing some of the Council's projects.
The Council is vested with some administrative powers. We are empowered to formulate policies and create and review the establishment of the Urban Services Department. I believe that we must exercise these administrative powers prudently with a clear mind. For those which have far-reaching implications, particularly on public expenditure, I hope Members will think twice. For a long time, the cumbersome structure and establishment have been subjects of criticisms.
In the past we put forth motions to conduct an overall review of the Department's establishment in the hope of improving its cost-effectiveness and productivity. Although the motions were not endorsed. I remember that the Democratic Party too gave its support. We are often criticized by the Director of Audit because of the structure of the Department. The organizations of the Urban and Regional Services Departments are often criticized. There is the recent case of a lot of redundant cleaning workers in the Regional Services Department. And just last week, we unanimously objected to the USD proposal of setting up an ad hoc prosecution team just for the major clean Hong Kong campaign.
At present, staff emolument has taken up 55% of the total expenditure of the Council. All along, it has been my hope that we can consider the creation of
Page 62 of 606
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