WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1993
CS PAYS TRIBUTE TO CIVIL SERVICE
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FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, IN THE MOTION DEBATE ON AN EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT CIVIL SERVICE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY):
MR PRESIDENT,
A FEW WEEKS AGO 1 GAVE A SPEECH IN THIS COUNCIL WHICH I DESCRIBED AS MY LAST MAJOR SPEECH. I APOLOGISE IF I AM DISAPPOINTING MEMBERS BY GETTING TO MY FEET, YET AGAIN MY EXCUSES THAT THIS IS NOT A MAJOR SPERCH. AND IN ANY EVENT IT SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO ME THAT AFTER MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A CENTURY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE IN HONG KONG, AND THE LAST SEVEN YEARS AS CHIEF SECRETARY AND HEAD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, MY FINAL CONTRIBUTION AS AN OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THIS COUNCIL SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO THE CIVIL SERVICE ITSELF.
MR PRESIDENT, I THEREFORE WELCOME THIS MOTION AS AN OPPORTUNITY ΤΟ SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE SERVICE AND TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MY COLLEAGUES. 1 HOPE IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE GOVERNMENT REMAINS FULLY AND FIRMLY COMMITTED TO DOING WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN A STABLE, EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE CIVIL SERVICE.
I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THE CIVIL SERVICE IS SOMEHOW SYMBOLIC OF THE SPECIAL QUALITIES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE WHICH HAVE BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE SUCCESSES OF THIS PLACE AN EXTRAORDINARY CAPACITY FOR HARD WORK, INNOVATION AND A READINESS AND ADAPTABILITY TO CHANGE.
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THINK WE SOMETIMES FORGET JUST HOW MUCH THE CIVIL SERVICE IMPACTS ON THE DAILY LIFE OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG : SAFE AND CLEAN STREETS, SCHOOLS, POSTAL SERVICES AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES NOT ΤΟ MENTION HOUSING, MEDICAL SERVICES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR NEW TOWNS. ALL THIS AT A COST OF LESS THAN 20% OF HONG KONG'S GDP! ON THE POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL SIDE, THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS RESPONDED WELL TO ALL THE CHALLENGES THRUST UPON IT AND IT HAS SET US ON A WELL PAVED AND SECURE ROAD TO THE TRANSITION TO 1997. WE HAVE NOT ONLY ACCEPTED THIS CHANGE, BUT ALSO GREATLY IMPROVED THE EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY OF OUR SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC AT THE SAME TIME.
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SO LET ME ASSURE HONOURABLE MEMBERS THAT GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED TO THE MAINTENANCE OF A FIRST-CLASS CIVIL SERVICE. BELIEVE OUR RECORD SHOWS WE CAN DELIVER ON THIS PROMISE. COLLEAGUE, THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE WILL DEAL WITH THE KEY ISSUES RAISED IN THIS MOTION IN DETAIL. BUT I WOULD LIKE то ADDRESS JUST A FEW OF THEM IN BROADER TERMS, INCLUDING THE MEASURES
WE HAVE TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND CULTURE OF THE SERVICE, LOCALISATION, AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE LEGISLATURE WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE.
/I BELIEVE