Following is a question by the Hon Abraham Shek and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (June 23):
Question:
Regarding proposals on the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it will, apart from exhibiting the proposals that have been determined as satisfying the mandatory requirements, put up for exhibition those proposals that have been determined as not satisfying such requirements, so as to enable the public to have an understanding of the contents of all proposals and facilitate their commenting on the proposals; if it will, of the details of the exhibition; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) where the views of the public and of the Administration are not at one, whether the public view will prevail in the selection of the development proposals; if so, of the details of the selection procedure; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether it has estimated the amount of government subsidy required for the public facilities of the project and studied how to strike a balance between the interests of the public and those of the developers from the cultural and commercial perspectives; if it has, of the amount of subsidy and the study findings; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
My response to the three parts of the question is as follows :
(a) The Invitation for Proposals (IFP) has clearly stated that proposals submitted must comply with all the mandatory requirements set out in the IFP before the Government will proceed with the further assessment of the proposals. This requirement is clear and open. If proposals not complying with the mandatory requirements are exhibited, not only would it contradict the spirit and principle that all proponents must abide by the same requirements, it would also be unfair to those proposals that comply with the mandatory requirements. It may also confuse the public, thus affecting the results of the public consultations. Therefore, the Government will only exhibit those proposals that comply with the mandatory requirements.
(b) The criteria for assessing the proposals for the development of the WKCD are clearly set out in the IFP. The Government has established detailed guidelines and procedures for assessing the proposals in accordance with the published assessment criteria. During the public consultation period, the Government will actively seek public's views on the various aspects of the proposals exhibited. The views of the public on the proposals will be taken into account by the Government in the selection of the best development proposal that would best suit the interest of Hong Kong.
(c) As the Government has indicated publicly on many occasions, we have decided to adopt an integrated approach for the development of the WKCD by including commercial facilities in the project. It is hoped that the private sector, with their business know how and experience, can develop and operate the whole District in a self-financing mode. The successful proponent will be required to plan, construct, operate, maintain and manage all the facilities in the project including both public and non-public facilities. The Government has no intention to provide any subsidy for the facilities of the WKCD project. The IFP states clearly that the Government expects the project to be run on a self-financing basis and that the Government will not provide any specific tax relief or exemption in relation to the project.
Ends/Wednesday, June 23, 2004
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