XN000022-1983-03-22 — Page 3

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1983

2

PUBLIC RELATIONS OBJECTIVES OUTLINED

*****

THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER TSAO, TODAY (TUESDAY) OUTLINED FOUR OBJECTIVES FOR HIS DEPARTMENT TO MEET THE NEW DEMANDS OF HONG KONG.

IN A SPEECH TO THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON EAST, HE LISTED THE FOLLOWING AS HIS AMBITIONS:

*

*

THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SEEN TO BE AN OPEN ONE'

WHAT IS SAID IN THE MEDIA IS NOT ONLY NOTICED BY, BUT IS ALSO REFLECTED TO, THE GOVERNMENT AS A WHOLE AND THAT IT TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS SO EXPRESSED IN FORMULATING ITS POLICY;

* THAT HIS COLLEAGUES IN THE CIVIL SERVICE WILL

FEEL EVEN MORE WILLING TO BE EXPOSED TO THE MEDIA, THEREBY ENABLING THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND MORE FULLY THE THINGS THEY DC; WHY THEY DO IT OR IN SOME CASES WHY THEY DO NOT BEHAVE IN THE WAY SOME MIGHT EXPECT THEM TO ACT; AND

* GENERALLY TO ASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THIS IS A

RESPONSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT.

+SOME MIGHT SEE MORE TO IT THAN I INTENDED. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND MY COLLEAGUES IN THE MEDIA THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING NO MORE, AND HOPEFULLY NO LESS, THAN WHAT A LARGE COMMERCIAL CONCERN WOULD DO TO MAINTAIN ITS IMAGE, + MR TSAO STATED.

PREVIOUSLY, THE DEPARTMENT HAD COMPRISED TWO DIVISIONS:

THE NEWS AND PR DIVISION AND THE PUBLICITY DIVISION.

THIS SET-UP, MR TSAO SAID, WAS APPROPRIATE AND SERVED THE GOVERNMENT WELL IN THE SEVENTIES AND THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS OF THE EIGHTIES DURING WHICH HONG KONG ENJOYED UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH AND PEOPLE WERE GENERALLY CONTENT TO LEAVE THE GOVERNMENT TO ITS JOB.

OUT.

BUT MORE RECENTLY, THE SITUATION HAD CHANGED, HE POINTED

+OUR ECONOMY HAS SUFFERED A DOWNTURN, ALTHOUGH OUR EXPERIENCES HAVE NOT BEEN AS BAD AS THOSE OF OTHER COUNTRIES: AND WE ALSO HAVE THE QUESTION OF THE FUTURE TO CONTEND WITH,+ MR TSAO POINTED OUT.

WITH THESE