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WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1990
HE SAID MUTUAL TRUST BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG WAS NEEDED FOR THE TERRITORY, UNDER ITS OWN SEPARATE SYSTEMS, TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY TO THE FULL THE PROMISED HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY.
"FOR HISTORICAL REASONS THIS IS NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT: BOTH PARTIES NEED TO WORK AT IT.'
MR WIGGHAM NOTED THAT SOMETIME AGO THE GOVERNMENT EMBARKED ON A PROGRAMME OF VISITS BY GROUPS OF SENTOR HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS TO THE MAINLAND; THERE WERE A NUMBER OF VISITS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS IN RETURN.
"WE SHOULD NOW CONSIDER WHETHER THE TIME IS RIGHT ΤΟ RESUME SUCH A PROGRAMME, TAKING CARE ALWAYS TO ENSURE THAT THE PURPOSE OF SUCH TWO-WAY VISITS IS NOT MISUNDERSTOOD, HE SAID.
TURNING ΤΟ CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONS, MR WIGGHAM SAID THAT ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE HAD LED MANY CIVIL SERVICE STAFF ASSOCIATIONS TO ASK FOR FUNDING OF THEIR PENSIONS, OR THE INSTITUTION OF WHAT WERE SEEN AS BETTER SAFEGUARDS THAN THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT MEETING ITS PENSION LIABILITIES OUT OF GENERAL REVENUE AS THEY FELL DUE.
HE SAID THAT ACTUALLY ALL THE
BENEFITS ACCRUING TO CIVIL SERVANTS WERE GUARANTEED BY CURRENT PENSIONS LEGISLATION, AND IN FUTURE BY THE BASIC LAW.
"I HAVE AGREED TO LOOK AT STAFF SUGGESTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE, AND HAVING REGARD TO OUR CURRENT ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL SITUATION, HE SAID.
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"THE ONLY CONCLUSION AT THIS STAGE IS THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FUND OUR PENSION SCHEMES, AS THIS WOULD REQUIRE US TO SET ASIDE SOME $120 BILLION IF SUFFICIENT INVESTMENT INCOME WERK TO BE GENERATED TO MEET OUR ACCRUED PENSION LIABILITIES BY 1997.
IF THEY
"CHANGES TO EXISTING SCHEMES CAN ONLY BE CONTEMPLATED DO NOT IMPOSE A DISPROPORTIONATE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THE TAXPAYERS: BUT WE ARE CONSIDERING VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES, INCLUDING GREATER FLEXIBILITY.
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MR WIGGHAM ALSO SAID ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF MANAGING THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS ITS SIZE: THE GOVERNMENT WAS THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER IN HONG KONG, WITH 190,000 CIVIL SERVANTS AT THE LAST COUNT,
"IT IS, IN MY VIEW, INEVITABLE THAT IN SUCH A LARGE ORGANISATION THERE WILL BE AT ANY ONE TIME SOME GROUP OR OTHER WITH A COMPLAINT OR A DEMAND OR A CONCERN WHICH, MORE SO NOW THAN IN THE PAST, THEY ARE PREPARED TO EXPRESS PUBLICLY.
"IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE TO CONCLUDE FROM THIS, HOWEVER. HONG KONG'S CIVIL SERVICE IS A SEETHING MASS OF DISCONTENT. THE MAJORITY ARE CONTINUING TO PUT IN A HARD AND HONEST DAY'S WORK." SAID.
THAT VAST
HE
/HE ADDED