XN000022-1983-08-17 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1983

MR SZE CHO-CHEUNG, MICHAEL

AGED 38. GRADUATE OF HKU. JOINED GOVERNMENT IN JUNE 1969. PROMOTED TO HIS PRESENT RANK OF AOSGB IN APRIL 1982. HAS SERVED IN THE FORMER GENERAL BRANCH, RESETTLEMENT DEPARTMENT. HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND IS NOW IN CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH.

MR CHÂU TAK HAY, BRIAN

AGED 40. GRADUATE OF HKU. JOINED THE FORMER TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT IN JULY 1967. PROMOTED TO HIS PRESENT RANK OF D3 IN JULY 1979 AND TRANSFERRED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE AT THE SAME LEVEL OF AOSGB IN JULY 1982 WHEN THE DIRECTORATE POSTS IN THE FORMER TICD WERE ADMINISTRATIVISED. HE HAS BEEN COUNSELLOR (1) IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE IN GENEVA SINCE AUGUST 1979.

EXTRACT FROM SPEECH BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY IN

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1983

I RISE TO MOVE THE MOTION STANDING IN MY NAME IN THE ORDER PAPER. THIS MOTION ARISES FROM CERTAIN DECISIONS WHICH I ANNOUNCED IN THIS COUNCIL ON 11 NOVEMBER 1982 TO ACHIEVE MORE APPROPRIATE GROUPINGS OF POLICY PROGRAMMES AND A BETTER BALANCE OF RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN POLICY BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETAR.AT.

BEFORE I TURN TO THE ACTUAL DETAILS OF THE MOTION, I SHOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT ANOTHER SUBJECT WHICH IS PARTLY RELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR RE-ORGANISATION EXERCISE, NAMELY, THE POSTINGS OF VARIOUS SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICERS WHICH WERE ANNOUNCED AT THE END OF LAST NOVEMBER AND WHICH SEEM TO HAVE BEEN MISINTERPRETED, IF NOT ACTUALLY MISUNDERSTOOD, IN SOME CIRCLES. AS I SAID AT THE TIME, THERE IS AN OPTIMUM PERIOD FOR SERVICE IN ANY SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE POST. IF THE BEST USE IS TO BE MADE OF AVAILABLE TALENT. THERE WERE OF COURSE, OTHER REASONS FOR THESE POSTINGS SUCH AS THE APPLICATION OF THE OPEN DIRECTORATE CONCEPT, THE IMMINENT RETIREMENT OF SEVERAL OFFICERS, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVISATION OF THE DIRECTORATE STAFF OF THE FORMER TRADE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE RE-ORGANISATION EXERCISE IN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT. SOME COMMENTATORS HAVE QUESTIONED THE WISDOM OF ANNOUNCING A RELATIVELY LARGE NUMBER OF POSTINGS AT THE SAME TIME. THE REASON FOR DOING SO IS QUITE SIMPLE. IT IS PREFERABLE TO ANNOUNCE COMPREHENSIVE AND CAREFULLY PLANNED POSTINGS OF THIS SORT IN TRANCHES - ANOTHER TRANCHE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY - RATHER THAN SINGLY AS THEY OCCUR, SO AS TO TRY TO AVOID UNHEALTHY SPECULATION AND TO UNDERSCORE THE POINT THAT OUR CONSTANT ENDEAVOUR IS TO DEPLOY STAFF TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE SO FAR AS THE PUBLIC INTEREST IS CONCERNED AND CONSIDERATIONS OF CAREER PLANNING DICTATE. I STRESSED LAST NOVEMBER, AND I REPEAT NOW, THAT THESE POSTINGS, AND THOSE SHORTLY TO BE ANNOUNCED, WILL TAKE PLACE PROGRESSIVELY OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS OR SO, HAVING REGARD TO VARIOUS PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS. SEVERAL, OF COURSE, HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE.