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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984
IN BRIEF, THEN THE EXPATRIATE ELEMENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS BEEN FALLING IN RECENT YEARS BOTH ABSOLUTELY AND RELATIVELY.
+THE GOVERNMENT'S RECRUITMENT POLICY HAS BEEN, AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, BASED ON THE APPOINTMENT OF SUITABLE AND QUALIFIED LOCAL CANDIDATES IF AVAILABLE.
+RECRUITMENT OF EXPATRIATES IS ONLY UNDERTAKEN WHEN SUCH LOCAL CANDIDATES ARE NOT AVAILABLE OR ARE AVAILABLE IN INSUFFICIENT NUMBERS. GENERALLY SPEAKING AGREEMENT TERMS FOR A LIMITED PERIOD ONLY ARE OFFERED.
+IN ADDITION, SMALL NUMBERS OF EXPATRIATES ARE PRESENTLY RECRUITED, AS A MATTER OF POLICY, INTO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE AND THE POLICE INSPECTORATE ON BOTH PERMANENT AND PENSIONABLE AND AGREEMENT TERMS, + HE SAID.
RECRUITMENT POLICY WOULD HAVE TO BE REVIEWED BEFORE VERY LONG, BEARING IN MIND THE TERMS OF THE SECOND PARAGRAPH OF SECTION IV OF ANNEX 1 TO THE JOINT DECLARATION.
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HOWEVER, HE EMPHASISED THAT ALL SERVING MEMBERS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LOCALS OR EXPATRIATES, ON PERMANENT AND PENSIONABLE OR AGREEMENT TERMS - WERE PROMOTED AND POSTED ON THE BASIS OF SUCH OBJECTIVE CRITERIA AS SENIORITY, PERFORMANCE, POTENTIAL ABILITY, CHARACTER.
+THIS WILL REMAIN THE CASE. BUT THE PARAGRAPH IN ANNEX 1 TO THE JOINT DECLARATION TO WHICH I HAVE JUST REFERRED ALSO HAS CERTAIN IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CAREER PROSPECTS OF NON-CHINESE OFFICERS AFTER 1997. FOR THEM, THEREFORE, AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME, WE SHALL HAVE TO DEVISE FAIR AND EQUITABLE ARRANGEMENTS, HE SAID.
ON THE LANGUAGE ISSUE, HE SAID THAT GIVEN HONG KONG'S POSITION AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTRE, HE WAS SURE THAT ENGLISH WOULD CONTINUE TO BE WIDELY USED.
+IN THE YEARS AHEAD, THEREFORE, WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE PROFICIENCY OF HONG KONG PEOPLE IN BOTH LANGUAGES IS FURTHER DEVELOPED.
+ IN THE CIVIL SERVICE, STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO REVIEW THE REQUIREMENT FOR PROFICIENCY IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH FOR APPOINTMENT PURPOSES AND TO CONSIDER HOW THE IN-SERVICE TRAINING CAPABILITY FOR THESE TWO LANGUAGES SHOULD BE EXPANDED.+
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