Chief Executive John Lee yesterday signed the District Councils (Amendment) Ordinance 2023 passed by the Legislative Council in accordance with Article 48(3) of the Basic Law.
 
The ordinance will be published in the gazette on July 10 and commence with immediate effect on the same day for the purpose of constituting the seventh-term District Councils (DCs).
 
Mr Lee emphasised that the ordinance is an important milestone of the work of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in improving district governance and bears symbolic significance to Hong Kong's advancement from stability to prosperity.
 
The Chief Executive said: “It is one of the most important legislation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region this year. I thank the LegCo for passing the relevant bill and the support of different sectors of society and members of the public to the legislative work. I affirm the work and efforts of the Government team and all colleagues involved."
 
The Government will take forward various tasks to improve district governance in full force.
 
Such tasks include convening the Steering Committee on District Governance and the District Matters Co-ordination Task Force chaired by the Chief Secretary and the Deputy Chief Secretary respectively, promulgating guidelines for the DCs’ operation and the performance monitoring mechanism for DC members, and preparing for the election in accordance with the law, so that the new DCs can assume office smoothly on January 1 next year.
 
The Government believes that the new term of DCs will work together with it to resolve the livelihood issues in the districts.