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ranks local officers now hold 53 per cent of the 1,019 positions.
The Hong Kong Government are confident that the continued
application of the current policy will enable top posts in the
service to be filled by local officers before 1997, permitting a
smooth transition to the arrangements for the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region Government set out in the Joint Declaration.
23.
Where the Police Force is concerned, the aim is that it
should be predominantly local by the year 2000. At present the
ratio of overseas to local officers in the Inspectorate rank and
above is about 70:30. Steps are being taken to identify more local officers for promotion and to provide training to develop their
potential.
24. A new pension scheme for the civil service was implemented on
1 July 1987. Its main features include the payment of pensions as of right; changing the retirement age from 55 to 60; an increase from 25 per cent to 50 per cent in the proportion of pension that
can be commuted into a lump sum payment; and provision for deferred
pensions to be paid to officers who resign after 10 or more years'
service. Serving officers have been given an option period of up to five years, depending on their age, to elect whether to transfer
to the new scheme.
25.
Following consultations with staff, a compensation scheme for
certain overseas officers has also now been approved. This will,
amongst other things, enable pensionable overseas officers who are required to retire early, or who are superseded for promotion in order to make way for local officers, to be compensated for loss of
career.
(c)
Redress of Grievances
26. Hong Kong has long had a wide range of institutions and procedures available to those who seek the redress of grievances or
who wish to complain about the actions of government departments and
agencies. They include District Offices, the members of District Boards, the ward offices of members of the Municipal Councils, the
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