XN000022-1989-07-28 — Page 2

FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1989

GOVERNOR GOING ON LEAVE

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THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, AND LADY WILSON, PLAN ΤΟ BE AWAY FROM HONG KONG ON LEAVE FROM AUGUST 5 TO SEPTEMBER 2.

THEY PLAN TO SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME IN SCOTLAND, BUT THE GOVERNOR WILL ALSO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME OFFICIAL CALLS IN LONDON AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF HIS LEAVE.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, WILL ACT AS DURING THE GOVERNOR'S ABSENCE.

GOVERNOR

CUSTOMS AND EXCISE REORGANISED TO MEET DEMANDS OF 1990'S

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FROM

THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT WILL BE REORGANISED NEXT TUESDAY (AUGUST 1) IN ORDER TO PRODUCE THE RIGHT STRUCTURE FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF THE 1990'S.

AT THE SAME TIME, GREATLY SIMPLIFIED CONTROLS UNDER THE

DUTIABLE COMMODITIES ORDINANCE WILL BE INTRODUCED.

AN

THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISE, MR PATRICK WILLIAMSON, EXPLAINED TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT THESE CHANGES WERE THE OUTCOME OF ATTEMPT TO TACKLE THREE MAJOR ISSUES HE SAW FACING THE DEPARTMENT.

THEY WERE FIRSTLY TO ENSURE THAT ALL STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT WERE EFFICIENTLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY EMPLOYED.

HAS BEEN

"TO ACHIEVE THIS, ALMOST THE WHOLE OF THE DEPARTMENT PUT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE BY THE VALUE FOR MONEY PEOPLE FROM THE FINANCE BRANCH," MR WILLIAMSON SAID.

"AS A RESULT, IN THE LAST THREE YEARS 170 POSTS HAVE BEEN DELETED OF WHICH 112 WERE REDEPLOYED ELSEWHERE IN THE DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED.

THE SECOND MAJOR PROBLEM WAS THE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH HE SAID HAD BECOME "OUTMODED AND RIGID".

A KEY FEATURE OF THE REORGANISATION IS TO REPLACE THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION IN THE OPERATIONS BRANCH BY A FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE.

"THUS THE THREE EXISTING REGIONS WILL BE REPLACED BY COMMANDS COVERING THE AIRPORT, CONTROL POINTS, MARINE AND ENFORCEMENT, AND SHIP SEARCH AND CARGO," MR WILLIAMSON SAID.

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'WITH FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT, HE ADDED, "WE WILL DEFINE RESPONSIBILITIES MORE PRECISELY AND PUT GREATER EMPHASIS OPERATIONAL DECISIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

FOUR LAND

OUR

ON

/"THE ULTIMATE