WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1986
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SIR DAVID ASSURED THE HON WONG PO-YAN THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO EXERCISE RESTRAINT AND INTRODUCE MEASURES TO ENSURE A COST-EFFECTIVE CIVIL SERVICE.
+THIS WILL NOT, HOWEVER, BE AT THE EXPENSE OF MORALE AND QUALITY. BALANCED AGAINST THE NEED FOR RESTRAINT MUST BE THE FACT THAT WE ARE BECOMING A MORE COMPLEX AND SOPHISTICATED SOCIETY WHICH REQUIRES A RESPONSIVE PUBLIC SERVICE ADEQUATELY STAFFED TO DO THE JOB THE COMMUNITY REQUIRES AND EXPECTS OF IT,+ HE NOTED.
SIR DAVID ADDED THAT ALTHOUGH THERE MIGHT BE OCCASIONAL SHORTCOMINGS AS IN ANY LARGE ORGANISATION, I BELIEVE HONG KONG IS WELL SERVED BOTH BY ITS PUBLIC SERVANTS AND ITS ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM AND THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE VITAL COMPONENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS TO THE WAY OF LIFE WE ENJOY.
+WE MUST KEEP IT THIS WAY AND ONLY GRADUALLY INTRODUCE NECESSARY CHANGES WITH THE LONGER TERM COMPOSITION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN MIND, HE ADDED.
TURNING TO THE TRAINING OF CIVIL SERVANTS, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS PART OF THE PROCESS OF ENSURING VALUE FOR MONEY, TO ENSURE THAT THE ABILITY OF STAFF AT ALL LEVELS WAS FULLY DEVELOPED AND USED AND THAT HONG KONG HAD A CIVIL SERVICE OF HIGH CALIBRE AND QUALITY.
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HE NOTED THAT A WIDE VARIETY OF TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES WAS AVAILABLE TO CIVIL SERVANTS FROM COURSES TO IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF SPECIFIC DUTIES, TO IMPROVE GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS AND TO PREPARE FOR INCREASING RESPONSIBILITIES RIGHT TO THE TOP OF THE SERVICE.
SIR DAVID SAID THAT DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR, 14 000 CIVIL SERVANTS WOULD RECEIVE IN-SERVICE TRAINING ORGANISED BY THE CIVIL SERVICE TRAINING CENTRE AND BY INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS. A FURTHER 11 000 WILL BENEFIT FROM COURSES RUN BY OUTSIDE INSTITUTIONS.
IN ADDITION, HE SAID, OVERSEAS TRAINING PROGRAMMES WERE PROVIDED WHERE SUITABLE PROGRAMMES WERE NOT AVAILABLE LOCALLY OR WHEN THERE WERE INSUFFICIENT PLACES TO MEET THE DEMAND.
THIS YEAR, OVER 600 OFFICERS WOULD GO OVERSEAS FOR VARIOUS COURSES, HE SAID.
NOTING THAT IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG MORE USE WAS BEING MADE OF CHINESE ALONGSIDE ENGLISH, SIR DAVID SAID LANGUAGE TRAINING HAD ASSUMED AN INCREASING IMPORTANCE.
+BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE INSTRUCTION IS ARRANGED. THERE ARE COURSES IN PUTONGHUA AND WRITTEN CHINESE FOR LOCAL OFFICERS AND THERE ARE CANTONESE TRAINING COURSES FOR OVERSEAS OFFICERS, IN PARTICULAR, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS, POLICE INSPECTORS, JUDICIAL OFFICERS AND OTHERS WHO ARE REQUIRED TO SPEAK CANTONESE IN THE COURSE OF THE IR WORK,+ HE SAID.
/ON THE