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TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1988
ON THE WHOLE, I FIND MORALE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE GOOD. OF COURSE THEY HAVE GOT THEIR WORRIES. THEY WORRY ABOUT PAY, THEY WORRY ABOUT FUTURE PROSPECTS IN THE SAME WAY AS EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY DOES, BUT ON THE WHOLE THEIR MORALE IS GOOD.
WILSON WONG: CAN I MAKE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. DO YOU FIND THERE IS A POTENTIAL DANGER OF A, SAY, VACUUM, I MEAN IN THE COMING YEARS?
H.E. NO SIGN OF THAT AT THE MOMENT AND THAT IS BASED I THINK ON YOUR ASSUMPTION THAT THERE IS A MASSIVE OUTFLOW AND, AS I HAVE TRIED TO EXPLAIN, THERE IS NOT A MASSIVE OUTFLOW OF CIVIL SERVANTS SO THERE IS NO SIGN OF A VACUUM COMING UP IN THE CIVIL SERVICE AT THE MOMENT.
WILSON WONG: THAT MAY NOT BE SO. BUT DO YOU
FIND, OR DO YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS TO, SAY, DEAL WITH THE POSSIBLE, SAY, TALENTS
BECAUSE OF THE EMIGRATIONS IN THE CURRENT YEARS?
H.E. YOU SEEM TO GO BACK TO THE EMIGRATION POINT. I AM TRYING TO EXPLAIN THAT THE RATE OF PEOPLE LEAVING THE CIVIL SERVICE IS NOT HIGH AT THE MOMENT, IT IS THREE TO FOUR PER CENT. WE CONTINUE TO RECRUIT FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE AND IT MIGHT INTEREST YOU TO KNOW THAT RECRUITING, FOR INSTANCE FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE BRANCH
THE CIVIL SERVICE, IS GOING VERY WELL. THE LAST RECRUITMENT EXERCISE WE DID, WE HAD A HUNDRED APPLICANTS FOR EVERY PLACE. THERE WERE ABOUT 30 PLACES ON OFFER, AND A HUNDRED APPLICANTS OF HIGH CALIBRE FOR EACH PLACE. SO NO SHORTAGE OF RECRUITS. IF YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING TO FACE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE, THEN OF COURSE YOU RECRUIT FOR IT. AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T HAVE THIS VACUUM THAT YOU ARE WORRYING ABOUT. WE DO HAVE GOOD RECRUITS COMING INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE.
WILSON WONG: ONE MORE FROM THE STANDARD. YOU ARE RIGHT IN SAYING THAT THE PERCENTAGE IN THE WASTAGE RATE IS LOW BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE THREE TO FOUR PER CENT IS THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCED CIVIL SERVANTS.
13 NOT BEEN, IF IS LOWER WORRYING
H.E.: IT IS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE CIVIL SERVICE. IF YOU TAKE THE DIRECTORATE; THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LEAVING THE DIRECTORATE AT A HISTORICAL HIGH AT THE MOMENT. IT IS LOWER THAN IT HAS YOU TAKE A PERIOD IN THE EARLY 1980'S FOR INSTANCE, IT THAN THAT. SO WE HAVEN'T GOT THE VACUUM PROBLEM THAT YOU ARE ABOUT. I AM NOT SAYING WE WILL NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM. I AM SAYING HAVEN'T GOT IT AT THE MOMENT.
WILSON WONG: THANK YOU.
WE
/SALLY BLITH,