WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1993
INTERIM LOCALISATION POLICY A CORRECT DECISION
THE REACTION TO THE INTERIM ARRANGEMENTS WHEREBY CIVIL SERVANTS SERVING ON OVERSEAS CONDITIONS WHO ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO TRANSFER TO LOCAL TERMS HAS BEEN OUT OF PROPORTION TO THEIR LIKELY EFFECT.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MRS ANSON CHAN, WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON HENRY TANG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MRS
CHAN SAID THE BEST WAYS TO HEAL THE DIVISIONS WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE CAUSED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE REVISED POLICY WERE:
*
TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT THE LOCALISATION POLICY VIGOROUSLY, BUT FAIRLY;
то DEVISE A NEW PACKAGE FOR CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYMENT WHICH REMOVES THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN LOCAL AND OVERSEAS CONDITIONS OF SERVICE; AND
* ΤΟ WORK TOWARDS A LONGER TERM SOLUTION IN CONSULTATION WITH
INTERESTED PARTIES.
MOVING,
||
"THESE ARE THE DIRECTIONS IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS SHE SAID. "IN OTHER WORDS WE SHOULD LOOK TO THE FUTURE AND NOT TO THE PAST."
ASKED WHY THE RELEVANT STAFF ASSOCIATIONS AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WARE NOT CONSULTED BEFORE THE PROMULGATION OF THE REVISED LOCALISATION POLICY, MRS CHAN EXPLAINED THAT THE VIEWS AND THE POSITIONS OF THE PARTIES CONCERNED HAD BEEN MADE KNOWN ΤΟ THE GOVERNMENT.
COULD ONLY
"IF WE HAD PROCEEDED TO FORMAL CONSULTATION THIS HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY INTRODUCING A MORATORIUM ON A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE LOCALISATION POLICY,' MRS CHAN SAID.
*
"IT WOULD SIMPLY NOT HAVE BEEN PRACTICABLE TO CONTINUE ΤΟ ENFORCE THE OLD POLICY ONCE THE GOVERNMENT HAD TAKEN A VIEW, IN PUBLIC, THAT IT WAS DEFECTIVE.
"WE DID NOT FAVOUR THE MORATORIUM ROUTE BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE MEANT, EFFECTIVELY, A POLICY VACUUM.
"A
BETTER APPROACH WAS TO INTRODUCE AN INTERIM POLICY PENDING FULL CONSULTATION ON LONGER TERM ARRANGEMTNS. WE STILL BELIEVE THIS WAS THE CORRECT DECISION,
M
SHE STATED.
MRS CHAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT INDEPENDENT LEGAL ADVICE OBTAINED BOTH LOCALLY AND OVERSEAS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT THE PREVIOUS LOCALISATION POLICY IN SO FAR AS IT APPLIED TO PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
SHE
"IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IRRESPONSIBLE TO IGNORE THE ADVICE AND TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT A POLICY WHICH WE BELIEVED TO BE DEFECTIVE, ADDED.
0
18