XN000022-1987-04-08 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1987

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MRS CHOW SAID THERE WAS ONE POINT ON WHICH SHE WOULD NOT COMPROMISE. +I BELIEVE THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION'S FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS MUST BE FINAL.+

SHE SAID THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF DISSATISFIED CLIENTS, AND IF THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION HAD TO REPEATEDLY LOOK AT CASES, IT WOULD UNDERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF THE COMMISSIONER, AND CREATE ENORMOUS AND UNNECESSARY WASTAGE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES.

APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION ADVOCATED

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NOTHING SHORT OF AN INDEPENDENT BODY WITH INVESTIGATIVE POWERS AS STRONG AS THOSE OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION SHOULD BE SET UP IF PUBLIC GRIEVANCES WERE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND DEALT WITH PROPERLY, THE HON HUI YIN-FAT SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES MR HUI SAID HONG KONG NEEDED A PROPERLY CONSTITUTED COMMISSION FOR ADMINISTRATION THAT WOULD PROJECT AN INDEPENDENT AND IMPARTIAL PUBLIC IMAGE LIKE THAT OF THE POPULAR JUDGE BAO CHING-TIN OF THE SUNG DYNASTY.

+I WISH TO EMPHASISE THAT THE STATUS AND POWER OF THE COMMISSIONER MUST BE CONFERRED BY STATUTE TO ENSURE HIS INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY. THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION SHOULD REPORT DIRECTLY TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE GOVERNOR, INSTEAD OF TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY, IN ORDER TO REINFORCE HIS MONITORING FUNCTION,+ HE SAID.

MR HUI SAID THAT APART FROM BEING DIRECTLY ACCESSIBLE TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISHED TO FILE COMPLAINTS AGAINST ADMINISTRATIVE OR PERSONAL INJUSTICES, THE COMMISSIONER SHOULD ADOPT FORMAL AND SYSTEMATIC PROCEDURES THAT WERE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC AS SITUATIONS REQUIRED.

IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT THE SUBORDINATES OF THE COMMISSIONER WERE TOTALLY INDEPENDENT FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT FOR THEM TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY. +THEY WORK UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHICH SERVES AS THE FINAL AUTHORITY OF APPEAL.+

MR HUI SAID THAT FOR THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION TO BE IMPARTIAL, HE SHOULD NOT BE A FORMER CIVIL SERVANT, BUT SHOULD BE SOMEONE WITH HIGH COMMUNITY STANDING NOMINATED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.

THIS IMPARTIALITY