CONFIDENTIAL
The Hong Kong
Government
has also been monitoring the
operation of the New Pension Scheme and considering other
measures which might be
might be introduced to improve the existing
pension arrangements.
As a result there are a number of
modifications which the HKG intends to introduce. We should
like to take this opportunity to inform the Chinese Side of
the proposed changes.
(a) Dependant Pensions benefits
16.
The first proposal is in relation to dependant
pensions and related benefits.
There are a number of areas
in which these benefits are
unsatisfactory.
For example,
out of date and considered
some of the provisions are
We
discriminatory with advantages sometimes accruing in favour
of men and sometimes women. In the case
case of the dependant
pensions schemes, the feature of compulsory contributions by
staff is also no longer in keeping with modern practice.
have, at the request of staff, reviewed the existing
arrangements. Having regard to private sector practice and
in consultation with staff, proposals for change have been
set out in the third paper passed to
formulated. These
the Chinese Side earlier (Paper 3).
17.
Among the proposed changes, the most important will
be the conversion of the existing compulsory dependant
pension schemes into voluntary ones. This is in keeping with
CONFIDENTIAL