9.
On the Director's comments on the principle of cost comparability, Mrs Fok said when funding for the HA remuneration package was approved by the Finance Committee in 1991, the package was comparable to that of the civil service in terms of total cost to the Government.
"The Working Group will study the issues raised by the Director of Audit carefully, taking into account the subsequent changes in the civil service fringe benefits and the overall cost to the Government," she said.
"The Government will actively pursue the Director of Audit's recommendation that the prevention of double benefits rule should be applied and consider what new arrangements can be put in place for new recruits," she added.
The decision to provide a simple non-accountable allowance for HA employees and not to treat the allowance as a housing benefit was taken in the interest of an early establishment of HA, Mrs Fok noted.
It should be seen against the background that there had been difficulties in identifying accurately the individual elements of the cash allowance in each pay band.
"We aim to complete the deliberations on the issues raised in the Report in six months' time. We will discuss with HA on how best to take forward the issues," Mrs Fok said.
End/Wednesday, November 8, 1995
No reason to doubt UNHCR's commitment
In response to media enquiries concerning the Director of Audit's Report on the UNHCR's debt, a Government spokesman said today (Wednesday):
"The Government does not doubt the UNHCR's commitment to repaying the amount outstanding.
"The UNHCR has reiterated time and again in various forms and on various occasions its commitment to repay the Hong Kong Government.
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