XN000022-1988-11-21 — Page 3

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1988

SIR BAVID SAID GREAT EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON TRAINING STAFF, FROM JUNIOR TO SENIOR.

"NO LESS THAN 18,000 CIVIL SERVANTS ATTEND LOCAL COURSES EACH YEAR, WITH 100 OR SO OF THEM GOING ON OVERSEAS COURSES.

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ABOUT

THE $400 MILLION SPENT ON THIS ANNUALLY

PER THREE CENT OF THE TOTAL GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE WAS A GOOD INDICATION OF THE EMPHASIS THE GOVERNMENT PLACED ON STAFF TRAINING, SIR DAVID NOTED.

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SIR DAVID SAID MUCH OF THE WORK ADMINISTRATION WAS NOT NORMALLY THE SORT OF WOULD CATCH THE HEADLINES.

BEING DONE WITHIN THE HIGH-PROFILE STUFF THAT

FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS THE STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURAL PLANNING WHICH WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT LONG-TERM IMPACT ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, THE DETAILED YET NO LESS IMPORTANT WORK ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JLG AGREEMENTS, AND THE WORK IN IMPROVING RESOURCE ALLOCATION WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION.

"THESE MAY NOT BE NOTICEABLE TO THE PUBLIC BUT THEY ARE HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT IN SHAPING OUR FUTURE, HE SAID.

"TO MANAGE THE DYNAMISM OF HONG KONG SUCCESSFULLY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO MOVE WITH THE TIMES AND FACE THE CHANGES WITH CONFIDENCE AND COMPETENCE.

"THIS IS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IN 1990'S IS GOING TO BE ABOUT AND IS WHAT WE ARE ALL AIMING FOR.'

SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE NEW RESOURCE ALLOCATION SYSTEM, WHICH INVOLVED GIVING SECRETARIAT POLICY BRANCHES A MUCH LARGER ROLF IN DETERMINING THE ADMINISTRATION'S PRIORITIES AMONG THE PROGRAMMES FOR WHICH THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE, HAD BERN IN PLACE FOR TWO YEARS, AND THERE WAS STILL SOME WAY TO GO BEFORE I'T COULD BE REFINED TO SATISFACTION.

"BUT IT IS ALREADY PROVING TO RE A MORE FLEXIBLE AND RATIONAL MEANS OF ALLOCATING LIMITED RESOURCES TO SATISFY THE HIGHLY COMPETING DEMANDS, HE SAID.

ON STATUTORY BODIES

ANOTHER CHANGING STYLE OF GOVERNMENT SIR DAVID SAID THESE BODIES WERE SET UP TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES WITH OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY WHILE MEETING THE DEMAND FOR MORE DIRECT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

"WE SHALL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR SUITABLE OPPORTUNITIFS IN SETTING UP SUCH BODIES TO TAKE ON PUBLIC SERVICES WHERE 1T WOULD MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE TO DO SO, HE SAID.

"THERE ARE POTENTIAL AREAS, SUCH AS THE AIRPORT AND THE SEWERAGE SERVICES, WHICH MAY BE SUITABLE FOR THE PURPOSE."

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