THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994
DR HUANG CHEN-YA:
MR GOVERNOR, WITH PEOPLE COMPLAINING THAT WHEN THEY REACH MIDDLE AGE AND BEYOND THAT THEY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING JOBS,
BOTH WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND AFTER RE-TRAINING THEY STILL CAN'T FIND JOBS, AND WITH PEOPLE THEY ALSO FIND THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE DOWN-GRADING OF THEIR SALARY POSITION IN ORDER ΤΟ FIND JOBS. AND WE HAVE THIS SO-CALLED LOW UNEMPLOYMENT FIGURE MASKING THE FACT THAT WE
HAVE IN FACT A LOW PARTICIPATION RATE IN THE FEMALE POPULATION. IT PROBABLY REFLECTS THE FACT THAT WOMEN HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING JOBS AND THEREFORE THEY HAVE GIVEN UP TRYING TO LOOK FOR JOBS. SO GOVERNOR, WOULD YOU CONSIDER REVIEWING THE MANPOWER POLICIES SO THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION RATE, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTATION OF RE-TRAINING AND TRAINING PROGRAMME THAT IS COUPLED JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND ECONOMIC DEMAND, AND ENHANCE THE LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY S0 THAT IN FACT THE MANPOWER CAN BE USED MORE EFFECTIVELY?
WITH
GOVERNOR:
OTHER
I REPEAT WHAT I SAID EARLIER, THAT I THINK THAT THE ISSUE IMPORTANT AS IT IS SHOULD BE SEEN AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF AN ASTONISHINGLY LOW LEVEL OF UNEMPLOYMENT BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS. I'M NOT SURE THAT I AGREE WITH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER ABOUT THE LOW PARTICIPATION RATE BY FEMALE WORKERS IN OUR ECONOMY. I THINK THAT THAT PARTICIPATION RATE HAS BEEN GOING UP PRETTY STEADILY, HENCE, AMONG REASONS, THE CONSIDERABLE DEMAND FOR PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION, FOR GOOD KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN, IT'S ONLY ONE OF THE REASONS FOR ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . BUT IT DOES UNDOUBTEDLY EXIST. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS RIGHT TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE NOT JUST OF MORE TRAINING,
BUT, OF QUALITY TRAINING. AND HE IS ALSO RIGHT TO SAY THAT HAVING TRAINED, OR RE-TRAINED WORKERS IT'S IMPORTANT TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT THEY SLOT INTO THE JOBS FOR WHICH THEY ARE SKILLED. I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE DEBATE IN THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE AT PRESENT SUFFICIENTLY ADROIT IN ENSURING THAT THOSE WHO ARE RE-TRAINED GO INTO JOBS. AND THERE IS SOME DISPUTE ABOUT THE STATISTICS, PARTLY I THINK BECAUSE THE LES HAS ONLY BEEN MEASURING THOSE THAT IT MANAGES TO PLACE IN JOBS AFTER RE-TRAINING, WHEREAS THE OTHER FIGURES GIVE PERCENTAGES FOR THE TOTAL NUMBER WHO FIND JOBS AFTER RE-TRAINING. BUT WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO CONSIDER WITH WORKERS GROUPS, WITH EMPLOYERS, AND WITH OTHERS WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN IMPROVE THE SERVICE THAT'S PROVIDED FOR THOSE WHO ARE RE-TRAINED TO ENSURE THAT THEY GET THE JOBS THEY NEED. IN AN ECONOMY LIKE OURS, WHICH IS CONSTANTLY SKILL HUNGRY, IT SHOULD BE THE CASE THAT THOSE WITH SKILLS SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND GOOD JOBS IN MIDDLE LIFE OR AT ANY OTHER TIME OF LIFE, BUT IT MAY NEED SOME INTERVENTION IN THE LABOUR MARKET IN ORDER TO HELP SECURE THAT.
MR HENRY TANG:
SIR, THE GOVERNOR IN A FORUM YESTERDAY SAID THAT IF PWC DISCUSSED A SUBJECT LIKE THE PEGGING BETWEEN THE U.S. DOLLAR AND THE HONG KONG DOLLAR, THEN MAYBE OFFICIALS FROM THE MONETARY AUTHORITY CAN ATTEND THE MEETINGS. BUT IN THIS MORNING'S GUIDELINES FROM CS TO THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS, THE OFFICIALS, THE CIVIL SERVANTS WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULD ONLY PROVIDE INFORMATION TO INDIVIDUAL PWC MEMBERS, SO THERE IS CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO. WHAT ARE THE REASONS? WHY IS THERE A DISCREPANCY: THESE GUIDELINES MAY PUZZLE THE CIVIL SERVANTS. THEY MAY THEREFORE BE WORRIED, THEY WOULD RATHER NOT THEN TO HAVE CONTACTS WITH PWC. IS IT TRUE TO SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT SINCERE IN ENCOURAGING CONTACTS BETWEEN THE CIVIL SERVANTS AND THE PWC?
/GOVERNOR: