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The District Administration Scheme commenced in 1982 with the establishment of a district board and a district management committee in each of the districts in Hong Kong. The aim of the scheme is to achieve a more effective coordination of government activities in the provision of services and facilities at the district level, ensure that the Government is responsive to district needs and problems and promote public participation in district affairs. From July 1, 1997 to December 31, 1999, the former district boards were replaced by provisional district boards. With effect from January 1, 2000, 18 district councils have been established to replace the provisional district boards.

The Role of the Home Affairs Department: The Home Affairs Department is responsible for the District Administration Scheme, community building and community involvement activities, rural public works and district minor works programmes, and the licensing of hotels and guesthouses, bedspace apartments and clubs. It promotes the concept of effective building management and works closely with other government departments to consistently improve the standard of building management in Hong Kong. It provides support services for the new arrivals from the Mainland and ethnic minorities to help them integrate into the community. It also disseminates information relating to and, where necessary, promotes the public's understanding of major government policies, strategies and development plans; and, where necessary, assists bureaux and departments in collecting and assessing public opinion on relevant issues affecting the community. These responsibilities are discharged primarily through the 18 district offices covering the whole of Hong Kong.

The Role of the District Officer (DO): As head of each district office, the DO represents the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government at the district level and oversees the operation of the District Administration Scheme in the district. The DO implements and coordinates the execution of relevant district programmes, ensures that the district council's advice is properly followed up, and promotes residents' participation in district affairs. In addition, the DO maintains close liaison with different sectors of the community and reflects their concerns and problems to the Government.

The DO acts as a link between the district council and government departments, facilitating communication between them, and also helps to facilitate the handling of district problems promptly through inter-departmental consultation and cooperation.

The DO is also involved with the community at every level and mediates in disputes between corporate bodies and residents. The DO performs an advisory and liaison role in assisting building management bodies and operates a public enquiry service to give the community easy access to government services and information. In emergencies, the DO is responsible for coordinating different departments' efforts on the ground to ensure the effective provision of relief services.

The Role of District Councils: District councils play an essential advisory role on district matters and issues affecting the whole of Hong Kong as appropriate. The functions of a district council are:

(a) to advise the Government on:

(b) where funds are made available for the purpose, to undertake:

The district councils also participate in managing some district facilities, including community halls, public libraries, leisure grounds, sports venues, public swimming pools and beaches.

The district councils initiate, organise and sponsor community involvement projects and activities aimed at enhancing community spirit and social cohesion and promoting the well-being of people in the districts. These include large scale district festivals and activities to promote sports and culture, to care for the disadvantaged groups, and to foster inter-cultural understanding, etc. They have also achieved notable success in improving the local environment by undertaking district minor works projects such as the provision of rest gardens, rain shelters and amenity planting. In 2015-16, $361.6 million has been provided for district council to carry out community projects and activities, including an additional $20.8 million in each of the coming five years for further strengthening the support for district councils in promoting arts and cultural activities in the districts. An annual provision of $340 million under a dedicated capital works block vote has also been provided for district councils to implement district minor works projects. In addition, a one-off grant of $100 million for each district, or $1.8 billion in total for all districts, has been earmarked for district councils to carry out signature projects. An additional one-off grant of $200 million has also been earmarked for preparatory work for the signature projects in all districts.