XN000022-1989-11-08 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1989

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"WHILE OUR JOB MARKET SPEAKS FOR ITSELF LOCALLY. PERHAPS ITS VOICE DOES NOT CARRY AS WELL OVERSEAS. WE MUST ALSO DO WHAT WE CAN ΤΟ ENSURE THAT ANY FORMER HONG KONG RESIDENT WHO WANTS TO COME BACK IS NOT DETERRED BY A LACK OF SUITABLE SCHOOL PLACES FOR HIS CHILDREN. HE SAID.

POINTED

THE CHIEF SECRETARY

OUT THAT THERE WAS ALREADY CONSIDERABLE STOCK OF PLACES IN OUR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS. AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS RELIEVING REGIONAL SHORTFALLS BY BUILDING A THIRD ENGLISH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION SECONDARY SCHOOL ON HONG KONG ISLAND.

"TO CREATE AN EFFICIENT SOURCE OF ADVICE AND INFORMATION TO PARENTS WE ARE INVITING ALL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS TO FORM A ONE STOT UNIT. AND ARE EXAMINING A PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THIS AND OUR EMPLOYMENT ADVISORY SERVICES TO OUR OVERSEAS OFFICES.

"BUT WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE EMPHASIS MUST DE ON FACILITATING RETURN. NOT ON CREATING SPECIAL INCENTIVES TO DO SO. A SUBSTANTIAL BONUS FOR COMING BACK WOULD IN EFFECT BE AN EXTRA REASON TO GO." HE SAID.

THE PRIVATE SECTOR WAS RESPONDING VIGOROUSLY TO THE PROBLEM OF MANPOWER SHORTAGE AND MANY LOCAL FIRMS WERE ACTIVELY PURSUING RECRUITMENT OF FORMER HONG KONG RESIDENTS PARTICULARLY IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. HE SAID.

"THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS ALREADY SCORED SOME SUCCESS IN THIS. ABOUT 200 APPLICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT AS ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED THIS YEAR FROM FORMER HONG KONG RESIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES.

"MOST OF THEM ARE IN THEIR MID TO LATE TWENTIES WITH SOME YEARS OF WORKING EXPERIENCE. THIS IS ENCOURAGING NEWS. SIR DAVID SAID.

ON THE SCHEME FOR IMPORTING TECHNICIANS AND CRAFTSMEN FROM OUTSIDE HONG KONG. SIR DAVID SAID THE SCHEME HAD WORKED REASONABLY WELL.

"BY THE END OF THE YEAR MORE THAN 1.000 SKILLED WORKERS WILL BE BROUGHT IN AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE TO STRENGTHEN OUR LOCAL WORK FORCE. THAT WOULD STILL LEAVE THE ORIGINAL QUOTA OF 3.000 SKILLED WORKERS NOT FULLY UTILISED.

"THE TIME WILL SOON COME FOR THE ADMINISTRATION ΤΟ REVIEW WHETHER THIS TEMPORARY MEASURE COULD DE INCORPORATED IN SOME FORM INTO OUR NORMAL IMMIGRATION PROCEDURES, SIR DAVID SAID.

A

MEANWHILE. SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOW ADOPTED LIBERAL IMMIGRATION POLICY FOR SKILLED WORKERS AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL.

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'THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR BRINGING IN OVERSEAS PROFESSIONALS ARE NOW SIMPLE AND FLEXIBLE. WE DO NOT HAVE ANY NUMERICAL CEILING. NOR WE DISCRIMINATE AGAINST ANY PLACE OF ORIGIN.

DO

/"AN EMPLOYER

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