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HKA 233/1
2
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 845
OF 191025Z MARCH 92
TOP COPY Q DIST?
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
115
HMOCS ARRANGEMENTS
140
006214
MDHIAN 7401
la
s
YOUR TELNO 474:
1.
SOME OF THE IDEAS IN TUR RANGE FAR BEYOND HMG'S OBLIGATIONS TO HMOCS OFFICERS. THEY RAISE SERVICE-WIDE ISSUES WHICH WOULD IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH QUICKLY AND WHICH ARE NOW BECOMING INCREASINGLY POLITICAL, BOTH BECAUSE OF THE APPROACH OF 1997 AND BECAUSE OF THE CLOSER INTEREST BEING TAKEN IN CIVIL SERVICE MATTERS BY MEMBERS OF LEGCO.
2. TO START WITH THE SPECIFICALLY HMOCS ISSUES, YOU ARE RIGHT (PARA 2 OF TUR) IN SAYING THAT THE NUMBER OF CONTRACT OFFICERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO OPT FOR PENSIONABLE TERMS AND ARE THEREFORE POTENTIAL HMOCS MEMBERS IS DWINDLING. THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY AND CONTINUING DECLINE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. IN EARLY 1985, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 700 SUCH OFFICERS.
3. NOT ONLY IS THE NUMBER DWINDLING, BUT WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS EVERY LIKELIHOOD THAT A CONSIDERABLE PROPORTION WILL PREFER TO REMAIN ON CONTRACT. THE OFFICERS IN THIS GROUP ARE MUCH YOUNGER THAN THE AVERAGE HMOCS OFFICER. MANY HAVE NOT DECIDED WHETHER THEY WISH TO MAKE THEIR CAREER IN HONG KONG, AND ARE INTERESTED IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER EMPLOYMENT ELSEWHERE. THIS ATTITUDE IS UNLIKELY TO CHANGE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF HMOCS COMPENSATION AND PENSION SAFEGUARD ARRANGEMENTS. SECONDLY, TO MAKE ANY CHANGE TO PENSIONABLE TERMS WORTHWHILE, IT IS ADVISABLE TO BUY-BACK PENSIONABLE SERVICE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. MANY IN THIS GROUP CANNOT AFFORD TO DO THIS.
4.
WE AGREE THAT IT WOULD BE OPEN TO YOU TO SAY THAT HMOCS ARRANGEMENTS WOULD APPLY TO THESE POTENTIAL HMOCS OFFICES ONLY FROM THE DATE OF THEIR ENROLMENT IN HMOCS (PARA 9 OF TUR). HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD ONLY REASONABLY BE DONE AFTER THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT IN PRINCIPLE OF AN HMOCS COMPENSATION SCHEME HAD BEEN MADE. WE WOULD STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST APPLYING THIS LIMITATION TO ANY OFFICERS WHO HAD JOINED HMOCS AND HAD BOUGHT-BACK PENSIONABLE SERVICE BEFORE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
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