District Administration
104. To improve the work at the district level and further the development of district administration, the Government will enhance the roles of the District Councils (DCs) and the District Officers (DOs). In light of the experience gained from the pilot scheme launched early this year in four selected districts, we have decided to fully implement the recommendations for enhancing the functions of all 18 DCs with effect from January 2008 when the next DC term begins. The DCs will be involved in the management of designated district facilities. The annual funding for the DCs to conduct community involvement activities will be increased to $300 million, and a dedicated block vote for district minor works proposed by the DCs will be increased to $300 million per year.
105. In May next year, I will chair the first Summit on District Administration Scheme, which seeks to strengthen the communication between high-ranking government officials and the DCs. It also serves as a platform for exchanging views on the strategies for the future development of district administration.
106. The Government will provide the DOs with more resources to support their efforts in promoting district administration. As always, the DOs will actively co-ordinate the work of government departments and promptly address issues concerning people's livelihood within their districts. They will also foster closer communication with local organisations and promote cross-sector co-operation, so that our policies will be implemented more effectively at the grassroots level and people's livelihood further improved.
Rural Affairs
107. A new round of rural elections, which include village representative elections, Rural Committee elections and Heung Yee Kuk (HYK) election, was concluded in the first half of the year. We will continue to enhance our communication and co-operation with representatives of public opinion in the rural areas and set up a working group with the HYK to conduct a comprehensive review on the arrangements of rural elections as a whole. We will consider the HYK's proposal to provide an allowance for village representatives.
