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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1978
NUMBER OF CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS INCREASED
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THE NUMBER OF CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS IN THE GOVERNMENT HAS INCREASED BY MORE THAN 44 PER CENT IN FOUR YEARS, THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON, AUGUSTINE KAM CHUI SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE SAID THE CHINESE LANGUAGE AUTHORITY NOW HAS 228 CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS SERVING IN 31 DEPARTMENTS.
MR. CHUI WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION RAISED BY THE HON. WONG LAM CONCERNING THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE USE OF CHINESE IN COMMUNICATIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE SINCE CHINESE BECAME AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE.
MR. CHUI ADDED THAT THE QUALITY AND ACADEMIC STANDARDS OF THE RECRUITS HAVE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE OFFER OF BETTER CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AND CAREER PROSPECTS.
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, MORE THAN 80 PER CENT OF THE INTAKE WERE UNIVERSITY GRADUATES. INTENSIVE IN-SERVICE TRAINING COURSES ARE ARRANGED ANNUALLY.
+AS A RESULT, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY IMPROVEMENT IN THE STANDARDS AND THE EFFICIENCY OF THE GOVERNMENT'S TRANSLATION SERVICES,+ MR. CHUI SAID.
REFERRING TO OTHER TYPES OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CHINESE LANGUAGE AUTHORITY, MR. CHUI SAID THAT SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION SERVICES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED AT THE OPEN MEETINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE URBAN COUNCIL, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF MAJOR ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES TO WHICH NON- ENGLISH SPEAKING MEMBERS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED.
+ INTERPRETATION SERVICES WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND TO MEET THE INCREASING NEEDS ARISING FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF EXTENDING PUBLIC CONSULTATION AT ALL LEVELS, MR. CHUI SAID.
MR. CHUI ADDED: +ALL IMPORTANT PUBLIC DOCUMENTS OF COMMUNITY- WIDE INTEREST ARE NOW PUBLISHED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE. THIS INCLUDES PUBLIC SPEECHES AT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND URBAN COUNCIL, REPORTS OF COMMISSIONS OF ENQUIRY AND PUBLICITY MATERIAL
ISSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES.+
RELATING TO COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC, HE SAID CORRESPONDENCE IN CHINESE HAS GREATLY INCREASED IN VOLUME AS A RESULT OF THE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTING ITS POLICY OF GIVING ALL LETTERS WRITTEN IN CHINESE A REPLY IN CHINESE, WHICH HAS IN ITSELF ENCOURAGED MORE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CORRESPOND IN CHINESE WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
/FURTHERMORE,