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Written by: Commentary Editing Room
2021-01-08 06:45
Last update date: 2021-01-08 06:45
The Food and Health Bureau responded to a question from the Legislative Council on Wednesday (7th), stating that the Tung Chung Public Market is constrained by the progress of the project together with it. Therefore, the construction of a temporary market cannot be underestimated without the completion date.
The government blindly emphasized the difficulty of planning, but underestimated the daily suffering of the residents and has no intention of alleviating local grievances.
Since the government sold the Housing Authority Market to Link, there has been no public market in Tung Chung New Town.
Residents lament the high prices in the four private markets in the district, and some foods are nearly 30% more expensive than Tsuen Wan.
The construction of public markets to promote the decline of food material prices has been a demand of residents for many years.
The current government announced the construction of a public market in the district in the "Policy Address" when it took office in 2017, and announced the site selection for commercial land in District 6 the following year.
Tung Chung Market is nearly 30% more expensive than Tsuen Wan.
(Photo by Wang Jieen)
Public facilities are subject to private developers
The Food and Health Bureau explained that the development project in which the market is located is close to a railway station. Because of its convenient transportation and close proximity to the city center, it can cater for the needs of residents in and outside the district.
Even though not all residents are satisfied with the site selection, the market is finally born.
However, the project has not yet started. The government stated that the Civil Engineering and Development Department "is now conducting further technical feasibility studies on the entire commercial building development project to ensure that the development project will not affect the safe operation of the MTR."
If the project is determined to be technically feasible, the government will sell the land and the developer will build the project.
The example of the Tung Chung Public Market reflects two shortcomings of public facilities planned by the government.
First, the project is subject to the actions of private developers.
The market took several years from the completion of commercial land research, land sale, plan approval, construction, and leasing until it was put into use. I believe that beyond the term of the current government, it will not even be possible to achieve internal political achievements.
More importantly, the emergence of public markets depends not only on previous government studies, but also on private developers.
As long as the land for commercial buildings is not sold and the plans are not approved, public markets are just a dream.
Although it is not uncommon to have public facilities in commercial buildings, if it delays the completion of public facilities, it is not a good strategy.
The location of the Tung Chung New Market was chosen in an unexpected place by residents and local organizations.
(Photo by Huang Yanping)
Temporary markets cannot be delayed
Second, the government has not considered short-term needs.
Residents repeatedly asked the government to build a temporary market before the completion of the permanent market, but to no avail.
The government refused to establish a temporary market on the grounds that it could not find a place that meets the health and safety requirements, and emphasized that the difficulty of finding land should not be underestimated.
It is really doubtful whether the construction of an assembled temporary market is as difficult as the government said.
The government is pushing hard to live in modular houses with kitchens and toilets to relocate grassroots residents for a short period of time. Recently, it has finally opened a temporary sky market in Tin Shui Wai. Why can't it be copied in Tung Chung?
Furthermore, as mentioned above, temporary markets are not short-lived. They have a "lifespan" of several years at any time. It is worthwhile for officials to spend a year and a half to build them after careful planning.
Even if there is really no land to build, the government should introduce remedial measures, such as arranging shuttle buses to take residents to public markets in Tsing Yi and Tsuen Wan at a low price, so as to reduce the residents' expenses and show the residents their sincerity in solving people's livelihood problems.
The high prices of Tung Chung Market have made it "the most expensive in Hong Kong".
The cost of buying food has risen. When residents in the district would rather spend nearly an hour’s drive to Tsuen Wan for shopping, expensive food has become a nightmare for residents of Tung Chung for many years.
Once Tung Chung repeats the "Sheung Shui" mistakes, prices in the area will soar further due to tourists rushing to buy them, and residents will become even more burdened.
(Data Picture/Photo by Huang Yanping)
The market policy has been idling for many years and little progress has been made
The most urgent task for the Government is to implement the Tung Chung Public Market at full speed. It should also improve the current market policy.
First, the officials must promise not to outsource the management of the market by contractors, and always monitor the reasonable prices of the goods.
Previous surveys by the FEHD and the Consumer Council pointed out that food prices in public markets vary widely, and low-rent stalls do not necessarily sell cheaply.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department should disclose information on stall rents, strengthen inspections of stalls and prices, and even stipulate that the prices of certain staple foods cannot be higher than a certain percentage of the wholesale price of the Marketing Office.
Secondly, many market stalls have been vacant for many years and have not made any progress.
Although the government has to find ways to make good use of the space, if it has no clue, why not invite the people to give suggestions?
In 2019, the Jockey Club "Make a Difference" Social Innovation Lab invited Sham Shui Po schools and community members to conceive of the inclusive of people and vehicles, taking into account safe street design, and conduct field tests.
The Food and Health Bureau and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department may wish to contact local residents to find opportunities for vacant public market stalls.
Government officials often complain that the public does not support or trust the government. However, the indefinite implementation of the Tung Chung Public Market proves that the government has delayed even the people's livelihood projects. How can the people win their trust?
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The final construction of a public market in Tin Shui Wai highlights the cost of governance
Public market reforms can no longer drag on the primary operating goal must be to stabilize prices
The FEHD must end the feudal era of markets, reform the rent and tenancy system, and implement new governance styles
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department 01, Tung Chung Food and Health Bureau