XN000022-1991-05-24 — Page 18

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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1991

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSALS WAS то ENABLE THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT TO ACT ON INFORMATION ABOUT MUNITIONS TRANSITING HONG KONG IF THE NEED AROSE.

"THE CHANGES SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO TRADE AND SHIPPING INTERESTS BECAUSE THE RANGE OF ITEMS TO BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL IS VERY NARROW, HE SAID.

THE TRADE DEPARTMENT COMPANIES ABOUT THE PROPOSALS.

HAS BRIEFED

SHIPPING AND AIRLINE

ENQUIRIES MAY BE MADE WITH TRADE LICENSING (NON-TEXTILES) BRANCH, TRADE DEPARTMENT, FIFTH FLOOR, TRADE DEPARTMENT TOWER, 700, NATHAN ROAD, MONG KOK, KOWLOON (TELEPHONE NUMBER 398 5571 OR

398 5572).

IMPROVEMENTS TO LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME PROPOSED

THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSES TO IMPROVE THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT (LSP) SCHEME BY STANDARDISING THE PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE RATES OF PAYMENT AND THE LENGTH OF QUALIFYING SERVICE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.

UNDER THE EMPLOYMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1991 PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY (FRIDAY), SOME EMPLOYEES WHO ARE NOT ENTITLED TO ANY LSP AT PRESENT WILL BECOME SO ENTITLED.

FOR INSTANCE, AN EMPLOYEE AGED 35 AND WITH FIVE YEARS' SERVICE IS AT PRESENT NOT ENTITLED TO ANY PAYMENT BUT WILL RECEIVE 1.25 MONTHS' PAY IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENT.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THAT AN EMPLOYEE AGED 40 AND WITH NINE YEARS' SERVICE GETS NO LSP AT PRESENT BUT WILL RECEIVE PAYMENT EQUIVALENT TO 5.4 MONTHS' PAY UNDER THE BILL.

THE EXISTING DIFFERENTIAL RATES OF LSP BASED ON AGE WILL BE REMOVED OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD, SO THAT ALL ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES WILL EVENTUALLY BE ENTITLED TO THE FULL RATE OF PAYMENT.

AT PRESENT, EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE THE QUALIFYING SERVICE FOR BUT WHO ARE AGED BETWEEN 36 AND 40 RECEIVE ONLY 75 PER CENT OF FULL RATE, WHILE THOSE AGED BELOW 36 RECEIVE ONLY 50 PER CENT.

LSP + THE

UNDER THE AMENDMENT BILL. THE RATE WILL BE INCREASED FOR EMPLOYEES AGED BETWEEN 36 AND 40 TO 100 PER CENT AND FOR THOSE AGED BELOW 36 TO 75 PER CENT IN THE FIRST YEAR. BOTH WILL BE 100 PER CENT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THE RATE FOR EMPLOYEES AGED 40 IS ALREADY AT 100 PER CENT.

ANOTHER PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT IS THAT AN EMPLOYEE WILL BECOME ENTITLED TO PART OF THE PAYMENT IF HE HAS COMPLETED FIVE YEARS' SERVICE BUT LESS THAN THE CURRENT QUALIFYING LENGTH

OF SERVICE. HIS ENTITLEMENT WILL INCREASE IN PROPORTION TO HIS LENGTH OF SERVICE.

/DETAILS OF