XN000022-1985-09-10 — Page 8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1985

DURING THE VISIT, HE SAID, THIS DELEGATION WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HONG KONG, LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL FACILITIES THERE - INCLUDING THE EXPO 186 SITE IN VANCOUVER - AND RENEW CULTURAL AND OTHER LINKS WITH THE CANADIAN PEOPLE, AS WELL AS FORMER HONG KONG RESIDENTS WHO HAD EMIGRATED TO CANADA.

TURNING TO THE COUNCIL'S EFFORTS TO GO FULLY BILINGUAL, MR CHEONG-LEEN NOTED THAT ALREADY, THE COUNCIL'S MONTHLY OPEN MEETINGS AS WELL AS ITS SELECT COMMITTEE AND SUB-COMMITTEE MEETINGS ARE BEING CONDUCTED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE WITH THE PROVISION OF SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION SERVICE.

THE NEXT STEP IS TO HAVE ALL COUNCIL MINUTES AND PAPERS TRANSLATED INTO CHINESE, BUT IN VIEW OF THE VERY LARGE VOLUME OF DOCUMENTS INVOLVED, HE SAID, THIS MOVE WILL BE INTRODUCED BY STAGES.

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+ INITIALLY, ALL COMMITTEE MINUTES WILL BE IN BOTH LANGUAGES, AFTER WHICH ALL COMMITTEE PAPERS WILL BE IN CHINESE AS WELL. ALTHOUGH THIS BILINGUAL PROCESS WILL BE EXPENSIVE, THE COUNCIL HAS DECIDED TO GO AHEAD WITH IT SO THAT BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH WILL HAVE EQUAL STATUS IN THIS COUNCIL AT THE EARLIEST DATE POSSIBLE, + SAID MR CHEONG-LEEN.

IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN A HIGH STANDARD OF CUSTOMER SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC. MR CHEONG-LEEN NOTED THAT THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TRAINING SCHOOL HAS ORGANISED TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR FRONT-LINE STAFF AND THEIR SUPERVISORS SERVING IN CULTURAL SERVICES VENUES.

THE TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR FRONT-LINE STAFF COVERS COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS WITH THE PUBLIC THROUGH THE COUNTER AND TELEPHONE SKILLS, WHILE THE COURSE FOR THE SUPERVISORS FOCUSES ON WAYS TO MOTIVATE STAFF MEMBERS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC.

THIS TWO-TIER TRAINING PROGRAMME WILL BE EXTENDED TO STAFF SERVING IN DISTRICT ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICES LATER THIS YEAR, HE ADDED.

TURNING TO HIS VISIT TO MACAU YESTERDAY, MR CHEONG-LEEN TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT WITH THE INCREASING FACILITIES IN MACAU FOR CULTURAL AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES, THERE IS THE LIKELIHOOD FOR MORE SUCH EXCHANGE TAKING PLACE BETWEEN THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE MACAU MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES.

HE ASKED THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO LOOK FURTHER INTO THE POSSIBILITIES AND TO REPORT TO THE RELEVANT URBAN COUNCIL SELECT COMMITTEES IN DUE COURSE.

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