WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1986
39
CS: MORE FACTS ON LOCALISATION SHORTLY
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT HE WOULD GIVE MORE FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT LOCALISATION IN ABOUT 10 DAYS' TIME IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL'S HIGH SCHOOL IN TAI TAM, HE SAID HE WOULD BE DEALING WITH LOCALISATION IN HIS SPEECH IN REPLY TO THE DEBATE ON THE MOTION OF THANKS.
SIR DAVID EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS FOLLOWING A POLICY WHICH HAD BEEN PURSUED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
+WE ARE NOT RUSHING INTO THIS,+ HE SAID.
ON THE QUESTION OF GOVERNMENT OFFICERS EMPLOYED ON CONTRACT TERMS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID: THE PEOPLE WHO'RE ON CONTRACT. FOR THE MOST PART, ARE THERE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE ON CONTRACT AND TO RECEIVE THE BENEFITS OF CONTRACT SERVICE.
+THAT IS, AT THE END OF YOUR CONTRACT YOU'LL GET A CHOICE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE, IF YOU WISH, AND TAKE WITH YOU A GRATUITY.+
IN RESPONSE TO A SUGGESTION THAT CONTRACT STAFF WERE NOT ENCOURAGED TO APPLY TO BECOME PERMANENT AND PENSIONABLE CIVIL SERVANTS, SIR DAVID SAID THAT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT ADOPTED AS A POLICY WAS TO TRY AND LOOK SOME YEARS AHEAD TO SEE WHETHER THERE WAS A LOCAL OFFICER WHO WOULD HAVE REACHED THE NECESSARY AGE, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATION TO FILL THAT POST.
+ IF THAT IS SO, THEN OF COURSE THE QUESTION OF LOCALISATION OF THAT POST BECOMES A VERY REAL ONE, HE SAID.
BUT, HE ADDED, IN GENERAL THE NUMBER OF EXPATRIATES EMPLOYED BY THE GOVERNMENT NEXT YEAR WOULD PROBABLY BE GREATER THAN THE NUMBER EMPLOYED THIS YEAR.
THIS WAS BECAUSE OF THE EXPANSION OF GOVERNMENT WORK GENERALLY AND, OF COURSE, IN SOME CASES THE RENEWAL OF CONTRACTS, HE EXPLAINED.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE CONVERGENCE OF THE BASIC LAW, SIR DAVID SAID THE BASIC LAW WAS PURSUING A STEADY COURSE.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT WAS THAT BY ABOUT 1989-90, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD HAVE A FAIR IDEA OF WHAT THE BASIC LAW WAS GOING TO BE IN 1997 FOR THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION, HE SAID.
/+IT IS