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Following is the transcript of a media session by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, after the first meeting of TEAM CLEAN this (May 6) afternoon:
Reporter: Mr Tsang, What sorts of measures will the government take this time to make sure this one will be a more successful one and that will win in the long term? Will we be adopting some stringent measures like those adopted by Singapore right now?
CS: The important thing is, it is not a one-off campaign. The important thing now is Hong Kong people in general recognise the importance of public hygiene. We understand it is a prerequisite of relaunching Hong Kong as an international financial centre and a successful commercial centre. So what we are aiming for in Team Clean, which is the name we call ourselves, is to develop a whole series of durable measures, which will involve the community in various measures we undertake. We want to make sure that Hong Kong will be kept permanently clean. It is towards this area that we work together. That's why the Chief Executive wants me to undertake this charge and involve not only the few operational departments, but practically all the departments concerned in this. We want to develop short-term and long-term measures that will have a durable and lasting effect in taking Hong Kong to the next plateau of cleanliness.
Reporter: Mr Tsang, you mention durable measures will be needed to win this battle, do you think that we also need extraordinary measures or more stringent measures? And do you think this post, you may be a little bit too senior to this post?
CS: What we're trying to do is arouse the community spirit in a major exercise. It is not only a government initiative but involves community as well. It also involves not only one department like the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, but everybody - Lands, Buildings, Police, Fire Services, everyone is involved in this exercise. That is why it is different from previous exercises. And in terms of methods, we are not looking at the measures we take from the point of view of one single department, but look at it from the point of view of tourists coming from Stuttgart, of investors coming from London, a banker coming from New York, a journalist coming from Apple Daily. From different perspectives looking at this issue, then we will find some common answers, some consensus on what best we can do. This is the way in which I look at it. We must break new ground. We must look at it from a fresh point of view, not simply from departmental perspectives. And to me, it is a very important task. I am proud I was given this task.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)
End/Tuesday, May 6, 2003
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