XN000022-1988-05-25 — Page 13

1

11

WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1988

CIVIL SERVICE RESIGNATIONS REMAIN SMALL

THE NUMBER OF CIVIL SERVANTS RESIGNING HAS REMAINED SMALL AND HAS BEEN MADE UP MAINLY OF OFFICERS IN LOWER RANK, THAT IS, BELOW THE SENIOR PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID

FORD, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"OUR JUDGEMENT IS THAT THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT SO FAR BEEN AFFECTED BY THESE RESIGNATIONS TO ANY SIGNIFICANT EXTENT, HE SAID.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON CONRAD LAM, SIR DAVID SAID: "BY AND LARGE, THE VACANCIES CREATED HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY FILLED BY SUITABLE CANDIDATES.

"AS IN ANY LARGE ORGANISATION, WE MONITOR VERY CLOSELY OUR WASTAGE AND RESIGNATION RATES."

IN 1985-86, 2,701 CIVIL SERVANTS RESIGNED FROM THR SERVICE, WHILE THE FIGURE FOR 1986-87 WAS 2,494 AND FOR 1987-88 IT WAS 4,066, HE SAID.

"BETWEEN 1985-86 AND 1986-87 IT FELL, WHILE IN 1987-88 IT ROSE. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, THEREFORE TO PREDICT WITH ANY CERTAINTY WHAT WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR."

NOTING THAT FIGURES AT THE DIRECTORATE AND SENIOR PROFESSIONAL LEVELS WERE OF INTEREST, SIR DAVID SAID THE PRESENT DIRECTORATE STRENGTH STOOD AT 1,024 AND THE NUMBER OF RESIGNATIONS OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WAS 13 IN 1985-86, THREE IN 1986-87 AND SEVEN IN 1987-88.

AT THE SENIOR MANAGEMENT/SENIOR PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, THE PRESENT TOTAL STRENGTH WAS 1,837. THE RESIGNATION FIGURES WERE : 24 FOR 1985-86, 18 FOR 1986-87 AND 28 FOR 1987-88.

TO SEE THE SITUATION IN THE OVERAL CONTEXT, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS USEFUL TO LOOK AT THE FIGURES IN TERMS OF THE PERCENTAGE OF RESIGNATIONS TO TOTAL STRENGTH.

J

ON THIS BASIS, THE AVERAGE RESIGNATION RATE SINCE 1981-82 HAD BEEN SOME 2.2 PER CENT OF TOTAL STRENGTH, HE SAID.

THE FIGURES FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS HAD BEEN 1.5 PER CENT, 1.4 PER CENT AND 2.2 PER CENT.

!

"THESE FIGURES REMAIN LOW WHEN COMPARED WITH MANY LARGE COMPANIES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHERE I UNDERSTAND CERTAIN RATES AROUND 10 PER CENT ARE NOT UNCOMMON, SIR DAVID SAID.

OF

**

/12