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value of service to Hong Kong, and provides for up to 800 points allocated as follows:
Age
200
Experience
150
Education and training
150
Special circumstances
150
Proficiency in the English language
50
Public or community service
50
Connections with the United Kingdom 50
In
Although the scheme was designed primarily for Hong Kong's benefit, Ministers agreed that, in a straight choice between equally qualified applicants, the scheme should give a significant advantage to those with close UK connections. particular, of the 50 points available for British connections, up to 35 points were designated for service with British firms. Hong Kong advised that this should be sufficient to give a British employee a decisive advantage
an equally qualified applicant working for a foreign company in Hong Kong. Ministers nevertheless concluded that officials should monitor the operation of the scheme and consider in due course whether anything more needed to be done for employees of British firms.
The Hong Kong Government now tell us that, of the 55,606 applicants in the relevant category (the general occupational class), 10,400 were employees of British undertakings. They estimate that about 6,200 of these will be successful under the selection scheme. This represents a success rate of 60%, which is higher than that of the Private Sector as a whole (53%) or that of Hong Kong civil servants (51%). Employees of British firms represent 19% of private sector applicants, but account for 22% of the places allocated under the general Occupational class. This shows that British links points have worked as intended: they give key personnel in British undertakings an advantage over equally qualified applicants from non-British firms.
Analysis of the profile of all successful applicants in the general occupation class reveals that the points scheme has achieved its aims in targetting people who are of prime age, well qualified and experienced: 89% are in the prime age band of 30 to 41; 57% are degree holders and 94% have professional and vocational qualifications; and 73% have 10 years experience or more in their profession.
The Bonas employees were young and relatively inexperienced, and as a result scored low under the points system. We could amend the scheme to place less emphasis on
CONFIDENTIAL