Community care teams will not replace District Councils, says lawmaker
DAB lawmaker Frankie Ngan Man-yu believed that the community care teams to be established by the government will not replace the District Councils given their different roles and duties.
Ngan, also a Kwun Tong district councilor, told a radio program on Tuesday that the District Councils act as communication channels between the government and the general public, while the care teams were responsible for organizing caring activities within the districts.
He also noted that each care team will only receive funding of HK$800,000 to HK$1,200,000 for a two-year service agreement - which is only several thousand dollars per month.
He believed the funding was not sufficient and the care teams would have to seek sponsorships and donations to maintain their operations.
Meanwhile, Ngan agreed that the funding for the care teams should be distributed in installments and based on the teams’ performance.
Authorities should also adjust the key performance indicators for the teams according to their location to cater to residents’ needs and allow room for them to respond to community emergencies, he added.