MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1993
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CIVIL SERVANTS SHOULD BE APPOINTED ON MERIT
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THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO SEE CIVIL SERVANTS CONTINUE TO BE APPOINTED ON MERIT AND DOES NOT WANT TO SEE THE POLITICISATION OF ONE OF THE BEST CIVIL SERVICES IN THE WORLD, THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING THE POST OFFICE, MR PATTEN SAID HE HAD RAISED THE MATTER WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE, MR LU PING, ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS WHEN HE MET HIM LAST AUTUMN.
"I'VE MENTIONED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES SUBSEQUENTLY IN CORRESPONDENCE. I THINK IT WOULD HELP THE SMOOTH TRANSITION OF HONG
KONG, " THE GOVERNOR SAID.
"ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO SMOOTH THAT PROCESS, WE'LL BE ONLY TOO KEEN TO DO WHICH IS WHY I'VE MADE THOSE POINTS то DIRECTOR LU PING. BUT I AM SURE THAT WELL IN ADVANCE OF 1997, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS."
IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE FULL AND COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT OF 17 ROUNDS OF TALKS, MR PATTEN SAID: "I'VE SAID BEFORE AND I REPEAT THAT IF THE TALKS WERE ENDED AND WE WERE MOVING AHEAD WITH OTHER LEGISLATION WE HAVE ΤΟ MAKE CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY THE BACKGROUND TO THAT DECISION AND THE BACKGROUND TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED.'
"WE
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ARE IN NO DIFFICULTY, IF AT A CERTAIN POINT IT IS DECIDED ON BOTH SIDES THAT IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO TALK ABOUT THE WAY THAT THE DISCUSSIONS HAVE SHAPED UP, I THINK PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD RECOGNISE THAT WE'VE BEEN FLEXIBLE AND SENSIBLE WITHOUT ABANDONING THE PRINCIPLES WHICH PEOPLE IN HONG KONG RIGHTLY FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT.
CLARIFYING CERTAIN POINTS ABOUT THE PROPOSED OLD AGE RETIREMENT SCHEME, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "FOR MANY OF US, THE PREFERRED OPTION MIGHT HAVE BEEN ΤΟ CONTINUE THE VOLUNTARY APPROACH WITH PEOPLE MAKING PROVISION FOR THEMSELVES.
"THAT'S WHAT 850, 000 PEOPLE ALREADY DO BUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PRESS US FOR A MORE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
"IF,
WHEN IT'S LOOKED AT THAT THE COMMUNITY ISN'T INTERESTED AND WANTS TO GO BACK TO A VOLUNTARY APPROACH, THEN SO BE IT.
"BUT IF THE COMMUNITY WANTS MORE COMPREHENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HELPING THE RETIRED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, THE APPROACH THAT WE'VE SUGGESTED IS THE BEST ONE AND IS MISLEADING TO SUGGEST THAT A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND IS THE BETTER WAY FORWARD.'
MR PATTEN SAID A CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND WOULD NOT DEAL WITH PROBLEMS TODAY WHICH WOULD HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH BY INCREASES IN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.
/"A CENTRAL