2

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1990

FOR

PASSED

BY

HOW

ONCE

MAKE

THE

I HAVE TO STRESS AT THIS POINT THAT WE WILL NOT BE CALLING

AT

BE APPLICATIONS

THIS STAGE. THE BILL MUST OBVIOUSLY PARLIAMENT FIRST. PEOPLE WILL NO DOUBT HAVE MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THEY SHOULD EVENTUALLY APPLY. I WOULD LIKE TO ASSURE THEM THAT THE BILL IS PASSED, AND BEFORE APPLICATIONS ARE CALLED, WE WILL AVAILABLE LEAFLETS

EXPLAINING ALL IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH DETAILS.

NOW TO THE SCHEME ITSELF AND HOW IT WILL OPERATE.

THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE MADE NO SECRET OF THE FACT

THE FEWER THERE ARE, WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE HAD MORE PASSPORTS.

WE FACED WITH THIS THE HARDER IT IS TO DECIDE HOW TO ALLOCATE THEM. HAVE TWO OBJECTIVES. FIRST, WE WANT TO SECURE THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FOR THE COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF STABILITY. THAT MEANS

то TO AS MANY KEY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER CITIZENSHIP THEM TO STAY IN HONG KONG INSTEAD OF EMIGRATING ELSEWHERE IN SEARCH OF AND SECURITY. SECONDLY, WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE THE PASSPORTS AS FAIRLY AS OBJECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE AMONGST A POTENTIALLY VERY LARGE NUMBER

APPLICANTS.

GIVING

BRITISH ENCOURAGE

OF

THE STARTING POINT IN DEVISING THE SCHEME WAS TO ASK A OF QUESTIONS ABOUT EMIGRATION:

SERIES

WHAT

SORT OF PEOPLE ARE ALREADY LEAVING HONG KONG IN TO GET PASSPORTS?

ORDER

WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE ARE MOST DIFFICULT TO REPLACE IF THEY GO?

WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE CAN HONG KONG LEAST AFFORD TO LOSE?

THE SCHEME UNVEILED TODAY REFLECTS THE ANSWERS WE HAVE ARRIVED AT.

IN

KEY THEIR

THE

A IN

THE NUTSHELL,

SCHEME AIMS ΤΟ ANCHOR PEOPLE POSITIONS IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS BY PROVIDING THEM,

AND CHILDREN UNDER SPOUSES

THE 18 WITH PASSPORTS.

OF BULK PASSPORTS WILL BE ALLOCATED THROUGH A POINTS SYSTEM BASED ON OBJECTIVE CRITERIA WEIGHED IN FAVOUR OF THOSE OCCUPATIONS WHERE EMIGRATION BEEN HIGHEST IN RECENT YEARS.

HAS

WITH

THE SCHEME ITSELF FALLS INTO FOUR PARTS OR SECTIONS: A GENERAL ALLOCATION, DISCIPLINED SERVICES, SENSITIVE SERVICE

KEY AND THE PASSPORTS WILL BE ALLOCATED IN TWO PHASES,

BULK ENTREPRENEURS. IMMEDIATELY,

THE REMAINDER, ABOUT 13 PER CENT, RESERVED FOR LATER.

HAS BEEN

OVER 70 PER CENT OF THE PASSPORTS WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN THE

SECTION UNDER ALLOCATION

IT GENERAL

A POINTS SYSTEM. DESIGNED TO COVER A WIDE RANGE OF JOBS, IN BOTH THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS. OCCUPATIONS HAVE BEEN DIVIDED FIRST INTO SEVEN BROAD

AND BUSINESS

MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTING, ENGINEERING, SERVICES, MEDICINE AND SCIENCE, LAW, AND EDUCATION.

AREAS: INFORMATION

/EACH OF

Share This Page