XN000022-1990-10-10 — Page 33

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1990

THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE CIVIL

SERVICE TOO WOULD FACE ADJUSTMENTS AS A RESULT OF NEXT YEAR'S CHANGES IN THE POLITICAL SYSTEM.

"BUT THE NEED TO MAINTAIN CLOSE LINKS BETWEEN THIS COUNCIL AND THE ADMINISTRATION WILL REMAIN.

"IT WILL, IF ANYTHING, BE GREATER. AT THE SAME TIME, WB MUST DRAW A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN POLITICIANS AND CIVIL SERVANTS.

"AS OUR POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS EVOLVE, IT 19 IMPORTANT THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE SHOULD REMAIN POLITICALLY NEUTRAL. THE SERVICE EXISTS TO SERVE THE OVERALL INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. IT MUST NOT BB IDENTIFIED WITH SECTORAL INTERESTS," SIR DAVID SAID.

HE REITERATED THAT THE SIZE OF THE CIVIL SERVICE WOULD REMAIN VIRTUALLY STATIC NEXT YEAR. "AS WE ENTER A PERIOD OF MINIMAL GROWTH IN NUMBERS, WE NEED TO LOOK AT WAYS OF INCREASING THE PRODUCTIVITY OF THOSK INVOLVED IF THE LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC IS TO BE

MAINTAINED."

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"OUR CIVIL SERVANTS ALREADY PERFORM WELL BY ANY STANDARDS, TERMS OF THEIR INTEGRITY, COMPETENCE, COMMITMENT AND PROFESSIONALISM. TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY IN THIS CONTEXT WILL BE NO EASY TASK, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO LOOK FIRST TO THE QUALITY OF MANAGEMENT. "WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH WAYS TO GIVE DEPARTMENTS THE INCENTIVE TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, AND TO GIVE POLICY SECRETARIES INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY WITHIN THEIR POLICY AREAS.

"WE HAVE ALSO IDENTIFIED SCOPE FOR DEVOLUTION OF CENTRAL AUTHORITY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE, HE ADDED.

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THE GOVERNOR SAID ONE STEP WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN WAS THE DELEGATION TO HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS OF THE AUTHORITY TO DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION ON ALL APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS BELOW DIRECTORATE LEVEL.

"THERE ARE FURTHER PLANS FOR DEVOLUTION, INCLUDING GIVING HEADS OF DEPARTMENT THE FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF THEIR STAFF.

"AT THE SENIOR LEVEL, CIVIL SERVANTS MUST NOT ONLY DEDICATION, INTEGRITY AND BALANCED JUDGEMENT: THEY MUST ALSO BE AT THE MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES AND PEOPLE, AND THEIR PERFORMANCE BE JUDGED ACCORDINGLY, HE SAID.

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HAVE

GOOD WILL,.

FOR LABOUR

SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE APPLICATION OF MODERN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND TO COMPENSATE SHORTAGES WOULD BE CRUCIAL.

"THIS IS