HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 18 January 1989
香港立法局 一九八九年一月十八日
20
CHIEF SECRETARY: Yes, Sir, there are extensive arrangements within the service for heads of departments to approve overtime within their own heads of expenditure and, of course, when they do so overtime is payable to a very wide range of people within the service below directorate level. We do not, however, Sir, like to rely upon the use of overtime as a way of alleviating staff shortages on a long-term basis. Long-term periods of overtime can result in strain which in turn will clearly affect the performance of the officers over the longer term. That said, Sir, we hope that we remain flexible and make the best use of the resources available to us, including the use of overtime.
MR. BARROW: Sir, the Chief Secretary has referred in his last sentence to the need to improve productivity and efficiency in all areas. Having been a Member of this Council for three months and having noticed the huge amounts of paper which circulate within Government, would the Administration advise this Council if they would consider organizing an in-house organization and methods study to improve efficiency through reducing the amount of paper in circulation and encouraging government officials to be more concise in their written work?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, I would be delighted, in conjunction with my friend the Honourable Financial Secretary, to instigate a value for money study on the work of this Council! (laughter)
PROF. POON: Sir, has the Government considered inviting private agencies or academics in the university to sort out some of the backlog of projects that the Secretary has just mentioned?
CHIEF SECRETARY: We have not considered that. I will put it to the Secretary for the Civil Service.
MR. MARTIN LEE: Sir, I do not think the Chief Secretary answered my second question which I will repeat. Are these rates of wastage in keeping with the past pattern over the last few years?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, I do not have the details for the particular grades that Mr. LEE mentioned, but, as I mentioned in my original answer, the wastage rate for 1988 is 5.4%; the figure for 1987 was 3.7%. What we are getting back to, Sir, is a wastage somewhat similar to the figure in the late '70s and early '80s.
梁煒彤議員問:政府可否告知本局,就職級而言,首長級和非首長級的短缺情況如何?