XN000022-1987-04-08 — Page 26

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1987

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WATCHDOG ROLE TO ENHANCE EFFICIENCY

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION COULD ACT AS A WATCHDOG OVER THE GOVERNMENT MACHINERY AND ENHANCE ITS EFFICIENCY, THE HON YEUNG PO-KWAN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR YEUNG SAID THAT THE COMMISSIONER COULD RELIEVE SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMITMENTS OF OMELCO MEMBERS, THUS ALLOWING THEM MORE TIME FOR OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS OTHER THAN HANDLING COMPLAINTS,

+AT PRESENT, THE COMPLAINTS DIVISION OF OMELCO DEALS WITH 1 000 CASES A YEAR, OF WHICH 35 TO 40 PER CENT CONCERNED GOVERNMENT MALADMINISTRATION OR INJUSTICE.

+WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION, THESE CASES CAN BE DEALT WITH BY THE COMMISSIONER, HE SAID.

MR YEUNG ALSO SAID THAT THE OFFICE WOULD BE WELCOMED BY THE PUBLIC AS IT MEANT AN ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT STATUTORY REDRESS CHANNEL FOR HANDLING GRIEVANCES.

ON THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, MR YEUNG SAID THEY SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEFINED AND STIPULATED ÎN LEGISLATION TO AVOID DUPLICATION OF WORK.

ON THE WORK OF THE COMMISSIONER, MR YEUNG SUGGESTED THAT HIS WORK SHOULD BE RELATED TO INVESTIGATING COMPLAINTS OF GOVERNMENT MAL PRACTICE AND INJUSTICE.

HE ALSO SUGGESTED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A COMMITTEE INCLUDING OMELCO MEMBERS FOR MONITORING THE WORK OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION,

NO NEED TO CHANGE EXISTING REDRESS SYSTEM

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THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE NEED TO CHANGE ANY OF THE EXISTING CHANNELS OF COMPLAINTS OR TO ELIMINATE ANY ONE OF THEM, THE HON KIM CHAM SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES, MR CHAM SAID THE DIVERSITY OF PRESENT CHANNELS PROVIDED A NATURAL SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES.

/HE SAID