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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1988
ASSURANCE ON AIRPORT PASSENGER PROCESSING TIME
*
THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO
CLEARING ALL ARRIVING PASSENGERS
CURRENT STANDARD OF
AIRPORT WITHIN 30 MINUTES.
MEET THE
AT KAI TAK
THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, STATED THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON MARTIN BARROW.
MR BARROW HAD ASKED THE GOVERNMENT TO STATE THE REASONS FOR CUTTING BY HALF THE APPROVED INCREASE IN THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT'S STAFF ESTABLISHMENT TO COPE WITH ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD ARISING FROM THE OPENING OF THE STAGE V EXTENSION AT KAI TAK.
"THE COUNCIL WAS INFORMED ON OCTOBER 20, 1988 THAT ON COMPLETION OF THE STAGE V EXTENSION OF THE AIRPORT, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE IMMIGRATION AIRPORT DIVISION WOULD BE INCREASED BY 59 POSTS, MR BARNES SAID.
"THIS FIGURE WAS BASED ON THAT IN THE ESTIMATES.
"SINCE THEN THE GOVERNMENT HAS REVIEWED SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE OPERATING PROCEDURES OF IMMIGRATION CLEARANCE AT THE AIRPORT.
"AS A RESULT OF THIS REVIEW, THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONCLUDED THAT, WITH CERTAIN PROCEDURAL CHANGES, THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT CAN MANAGE INITIALLY WITH 38 ADDITIONAL POSTS.'
++
MR BARNES SAID A FURTHER 38 POSTS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT ESTIMATES FOR 1989-90, SUBJECT TO THE USUAL DETAILED CONSIDERATION, WITH A VIEW TO THEIR CREATION FROM NEXT APRIL.
THE DEPARTMENT WOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY TO ENSURE THAT A HIGH STANDARD OF SERVICE WAS MAINTAINED, HE ADDED.
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