vil service under-representation
3. Another problem Hong Kong wish to remedy relates to the sub- quota for "managers and administrators" in the civil service.
This sub-quota was created to protect such civil servants from
undue competition with their counterparts in the private sector,
especially business proprietors. The Scheme uses income as a
better measure of success and value to Hong Kong than length of
experience and it was envisaged that civil servants would not be
able to compete. In practice the distinction has turned out to
be unnecessary. The income level of those who have applied from
the private sector has been generally quite low and it is thought
that civil servants would have been more than able to hold their
own. The distinction has also meant in practice that because of
under-subscription in the private sector all qualified applicants in that occupational sub group have been successful whereas the
success rate for qualified civil servants has been only 24%.
Hong Kong now wish therefore to make it a fairer competition by
abolishing the sub-quota and having public and private managers and administrators compete on the same footing.
Earnings scale
4.
A problem has also emerged with the earnings scale used
under the Scheme to determine the number of points gained for
experience by private sector managers and administrators. It
does not differentiate applicants sufficiently and has resulted
in too much bunching around particular levels. For the second
tranche Hong Kong would like to take into account the income
levels encountered in the first tranche. This would involve a
slight re-arrangement of the scale, the addition of two more
steps and more even spacing between steps.
Accountancy professional qualifications
5. A further minor adjustment is required in respect of the
professional qualifications which apply to "accounting associate
IB.2/JM