Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (January 6):
Reporter: Some District Councils have been proposing measures such as night markets, check-in spots. How much would these help the local economy and also how would you respond to scholars comments that these ideas are somewhat similar and would lead to an overlap of resources?
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs: When you visit the community, what we always listen and get views from residents are that they want more activities and district-based events to be held in the community. They want to see a vibrant and energetic community. I think this is also a way to enhance the sense of belongings of our residents in the community. That is why the seventh term District Councils in their first meetings, they have proposed different ideas in organising various district-based activities in different districts. They are aiming to provide chances and opportunities for our residents to gather together to enjoy the festive atmosphere and boost up district-based economy. I think this will definitely help stimulate consumption in the district and help the business in the community.
Some may say that the nature of the activities are somewhat similar, but when you look into the list of activities, some are already well-established ones or have a long history of organising such activities in the community, like the traditional dragon dances during the Tin Hau festival or some traditional ceremonies during traditional festivals. The aim of the District Councils in organising these activities is to enhance publicity and to organise such activities in a more systematic and well established way, so that the community will learn about the already well-organised activities in various districts. As you can see from the list, some activities fall into the period of some traditional festive activities’ timing, and they are quite similar, but this will not hinder the participation from the community, rather, we can provide more chances and information about all these activities for our residents from different districts to choose a more convenient place or a more well-organised place to go. We are providing more choices for our residents and these activities themselves are not mutually exclusive. We are not saying that when some districts have already organised an activity or event, the other districts could not organise similar ones. We want to have an inclusive list and provide more alternatives and activities for our residents to enjoy during various festivals.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
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