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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1993
I BELIEVE WE MANAGE TO PULL OFF THE TRICK OF IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF OUR WORK WHILE AT THE SAME TIME FACING NEW AND MORE COMPLEX CHALLENGES, AND RAPIDLY RISING COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS. MUCH OF THIS HAS BEEN DUE TO THE RESOURCES WE HAVE PUT INTO TRAINING. OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, WE HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED OUR TRAINING BUDGET, FROM $301 MILLION TO $671 MILLION. AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE MADE DEPARTMENTS TAKE ON MUCH MORE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE TRAINING OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE. AFTER ALL THEY SHOULD KNOW BEST WHAT THEY NEED BY WAY OF TRAINING. AND, FINALLY, WE HAVE TACKLED THE NEEDS OF THE TRANSITION BY FOCUSING ON CHINA-RELATED TRAINING. THIS YEAR, WE HAVE RUN 7 SPECIAL COURSES INCLUDING 83 CAREFULLY-SELECTED OFFICERS, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE TSING HUA UNIVERSITY IN BEIJING. WE REALLY ARE LAYING THE GROUND WORK FOR THE FUTURE.
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NGAI,
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ON THE THORNY ISSUE OF LOCALISATION REFERRED TO BY MR. WOULD HAVE TO SAY AS SOMEONE WHO IS TO BE "LOCALISED" WITH EFFECT FROM NEXT MONDAY THAT THERE HAS BEEN A GOOD DEAL OF MISUNDERSTANDING OF OUR RECORD IN THIS AREA UP TO NOW, AND NOT A LITTLE UNDERESTIMATION AND UNDERSTATEMENT OF WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR ACHIEVED.
I THINK IT IS WORTH LOOKING AT THE FIGURES AGAIN, IN 1952, OVERSEAS OFFICERS ACCOUNTED FOR 4.4% OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. TODAY, THEY ACCOUNT FOR 1.1%. IN TERMS OF ABSOLUTE NUMBERS, THERE ARE NOW ONLY 2,100 OVERSEAS OFFICERS IN A SERVICE OF MORE THAN 180,000. AT THE DIRECTORATE LEVEL, 65.5% OF THE POSTS ARE NOW FILLED BY LOCAL OFFICERS; SOME 80% OF THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT/PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS ARE LOCALS, AND HALF OF OUR POLICY SECRETARIES AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS ARE LOCAL.
LET ME ONCE AGAIN MAKE IT CLEAR: WE ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF OUR OBLIGATIONS AND OUR COMMITMENT TO LOCALISE THE CIVIL SERVICE. NOT LEAST AS IT AFFECTS PRINCIPAL OFFICIAL POSTS, AND HONOURABLE MEMBERS CAN BE ASSURED THAT THESE ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE IN PLACE IN GOOD TIME. EQUALLY, I'M SURE THAT HONOURABLE MEMBERS WILL WANT TO BE ASSURED THAT THE SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE RIGHT MIX OF EXPERTISE AND RANGE OF EXPERIENCE IT NEEDS TO DELIVER THE GOODS. THAT IS ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE KIND OF CIVIL SERVICE ENVISAGED UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW,
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LEGCO AND THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN CRUCIAL. IN MY EXPERIENCE IT HAS ALSO ALWAYS BEEN GOOD. AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE NEW PRESSURES WHICH HAVE BEEN PLACED ON BOTH SIDES, PARTICULARLY SINCE THE 1991 ELECTIONS, I BELIEVE THAT THE RELATIONSHIP REMAINS SOUND, BASED AS IT IS ON A MUTUAL DESIRE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR FELLOW CITIZENS. I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT AS THE GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE ITS ACCOUNTABILITY THAT RELATIONSHIP WILL DEVELOP CONSTRUCTIVELY, EVEN ALLOWING FOR THE OCCASIONAL WRINKLE WHERE WE MAY NOT SEE EVE-TO-EYE.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ONE ASPECT OF THE RELATIONSHIP WHICH I BELIEVE NEEDS TO BE CAREFULLY PRESERVED. THIS LEGISLATURE, IN PARTICULAR THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, HAS AN IMPORTANT DUTY TO DISCHARGE IN THE EXAMINATION AND APPROVAL OF CIVIL SERVICE DIRECTORATE POSTS. IT IS YOUR JOB TO SEE THAT THE PUBLIC IS GETTING VALUE FOR MONEY. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SIGNS HOWEVER THAT THIS ROLE HAS BEEN WIDENED BY SOME MEMBERS AND AS A RESULT THEY MAY HAVE STRAYED INTO AREAS WHERE I BELIEVE THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE IN THE DRIVING SEAT, INCLUDING MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND PARTICULARLY MATTERS RELATING ΤΟ APPOINTMENTS.
INDIVIDUAL
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