TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 1989
POLICY ON IMPORTATION OF SKILLED LABOUR
TO BE APPLIED MORE FLEXIBLY
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED THAT THE CURRENT POLICY ON IMPORTATION OF SKILLED LABOUR SHOULD BE APPLIED MORE FLEXIBLY TO MEET CHANGING NEEDS.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT UNDER THE PRESENT POLICY, A PERSON IS ALLOWED TO ENTER HONG KONG FOR EMPLOYMENT PROVIDED THAT THERE IS NO SECURITY RISK, THAT HE IS UNLIKELY TO BECOME A BURDEN ON HONG KONG, THAT HE POSSESSES A SPECIAL SKILL, KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE OF VALUE TO AND NOT READILY AVAILABLE HERE, OR THAT HE IS IN A POSITION TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY,
"THIS POLICY HAS SERVED US WELL BUT THE CONTINUING HIGH LEVEL OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS HAS LED TO A SHORTAGE OF CERTAIN SKILLS AND PROFESSIONS IN SOME SECTORS.
"WE ARE EXAMINING THE AREAS WHICH HAVE ACUTE SKILLED MANPOWER SHORTAGES AND ON THIS BASIS, WE WILL CONSIDER ALLOWING MORE SKILLED PEOPLE TO BE BROUGHT IN UNDER EXISTING POLICY BUT WITH RELAXED CRITERIA, HE SAID.
即申
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THERE WAS NO INTENTION ΤΟ RESTRICT THE SKILLS TO BE IMPORTED TO ANY PARTICULAR INDUSTRY OR PROFESSION.
"THIS WILL BE DECIDED ON A NEEDS BASIS, AND ALL POTENTIAL SOURCES OF SUPPLY WILL BE CONSIDERED, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT THIS RELAXATION DID NOT MEAN ANY CHANGE IN THE POLICY NOT TO ALLOW LARGE-SCALE IMPORTATION OF UNSKILLED LABOUR.
"WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT WORKERS SHOULD SHARE THE FRUITS OF PROSPERITY DURING AN ECONOMIC BOOM, AND THAT THEIR WAGES SHOULD NOT BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY LARGE-SCALE IMPORTATION.
WILL
"ANY RELAXATION OF THE APPLICATION OF THE EXISTING POLICY ONLY RESULT IN THE IMPORTATION OF A LIMITED NUMBER OF SKILLED PEOPLE, AND WILL BE TEMPORARY IN NATURE,
|| HE STRESSED.
"DETAILS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN A FEW WEEKS' TIME,
I
HE ADDED.
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