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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1991
"AND THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE GOT THE MESSAGE. FOR EXAMPLE IT SEEMS THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL MISERY IS NOT BEING EXTENDED TO CORPORATE DIRECTORS WHOSE FEES ACCORDING TO A CASUAL SURVEY WE HAVE CONDUCTED, INCREASED BY AN AVERAGE OF OVER 25 PER CENT LAST YEAR.
NOT
RESTRICTING GOVERNMENT PAY AWARDS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID WAS THE ONLY WAY IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO CURBING INFLATION.
"IN A TIGHT LABOUR MARKET, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT GOVERNMENT EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO RESTRAIN GROWTH OF THE CIVIL SERVICE INCREASE ITS PRODUCTIVITY.
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"THIS IS NO EASY TASK, AS MOST OF THE JOBS THE GOVERNMENT НАЯ TO DO TEND TO BE LABOUR INTENSIVE, SIR DAVID SAID, POINTING OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS HONG KONG'S LARGEST SINGLE EMPLOYER EMPLOYING SEVEN PER CENT OF THE TOTAL WORKFORCE AND CIVIL SERVICE SALARIES ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT FIVE PER CENT OF GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT CONTROL OF THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS A KRY ELEMENT IN THE CONTROL OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, SIR DAVID SAID CIVIL SERVICE PAY ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 38 PER CENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S RECURRENT EXPENDITURE AND 27 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE.
"So WE ARE DETERMINED TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO RESTRAIN THE GROWTH OF THE SERVICE. WE ARE CONTINUING OUR POLICY OF 'ZERO GROWTH' HE SAID.
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SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD PROGRESSIVELY REDUCED THE GROWTH IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE FROM 3.29 PER CENT IN 1988/89 TO 1.49 PER CENT IN 1990/91, TO ABOUT 0.8 PER CENT IN THE CURRENT YEAR.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS DETERMINED TO SET A GOOD EXAMPLE TO THE COMMUNITY IN TRYING TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF INFLATION.
"BUT WE CANNOT WIN THIS BATTLE ON OUR OWN AND WE LOOK TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO FOLLOW OUR LEAD. IN FIXING PRICES AND CONTROLLING STAFF COSTS MANAGERS HAVE A KEY ROLE TO PLAY.
"FOR THE SAKE OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WE LOOK TO THEM то RESPOND TO CHALLENGES WITH THE SAME DETERMINATION WHICH WE IN THE GOVERNMENT ARE DEMONSTRATING TODAY," HE CONCLUDED.
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