XN000022-1992-04-29 — Page 31

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1992

IMPORTATION OF LABOUR QUOTA RELEASED

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THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THE QUOTAS TO BE ALLOCATED TO INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES UNDER THE 1992 GENERAL LABOUR IMPORTATION SCHEME.

ALTOGETHER, 12,000 MORE WORKERS AT THE TECHNICIAN, SUPERVISOR AND OPERATIVE LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IMPORTED.

CRAFTSMAN,

"THIS IS IN ADDITION TO SOME 13,000 IMPORTED WORKERS CURRENTLY WORKING IN HONG KONG AND IS IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT POLICY THAT THE NUMBER OF IMPORTED WORKERS IN HONG KONG AT ANY ONE TIME SHOULD NOT EXCEED 25,000, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER BRANCH SAID.

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HE SAID IN WORKING OUT THE DISTRIBUTION OF QUOTA, RELEVANT FACTORS, INCLUDING UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDER-EMPLOYMENT RATES IN INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES, THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES AND OTHER ECONOMIC INDICATORS RELATED TO LABOUR SHORTAGE HAD BEEN GIVEN DUE WEIGHT.

FURTHERMORE, APPLICATIONS INVOLVING SOME 50,000 JOBS HAD BEEN WEEDED OUT ON ACCOUNT OF VARIOUS FACTORS.

AMONG THOSE DISQUALIFIED WERE CASES WHICH DID NOT MEET THE STIPULATED ALLOWABLE WAGE RATE OR LEVEL OF SKILL, CASES WHERE THE EMPLOYER HAD NOT REGISTERED VACANCIES WITH THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, AND CASES WHERE THE EMPLOYER HAD ADVERSE RECORD SUCH AS EXPLOITATION OF LABOUR.

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ACCORDING TO THE QUOTA DISTRIBUTION, THE SERVICES SECTOR TAKE UP ABOUT HALF OF THE QUOTA WHILE THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR ABOUT 25 PER CENT, AND THE REST FOR THE OTHER INDUSTRIES.

OF THE 12,000 IMPORTED WORKERS, THE LARGEST SHARES GO ΤΟ THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES (3,721); AND THE CATERING SECTOR (1,628).

"HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF IMPORTED WORKERS ALLOWED FOR EACH INDUSTRY OR SERVICE SECTOR REPRESENTS A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED BY THEM,' THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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"FOR EXAMPLE, THE CURRENT LEVEL OF EMPLOYMENT IN THE WHOLESALE, RETAIL AND IMPORT/EXPORT TRADES IN HONG KONG IS ESTIMATED ΤΟ BE 354,832 AND IN THE CATERING SECTOR, 172,285.

"THE NUMBER OF IMPORTED WORKERS ALLOCATED TO THESE INDUSTRIES THEREFORE REPRESENTS ONLY 1.05% AND 0.94% RESPECTIVELY.

"THE SPIRIT OF THE SCHEME THEREFORE REMAINS LIMITED AND SELECTIVE," THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

THE CLOTHING AND OTHER INDUSTRIES (E.G. FOOD MANUFACTURING, PAPER AND PAPER PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING, WELFARE INSTITUTIONS, LAUNDRY AND DRY

CLEANING, AND SO ON) WILL TAKE UP ANOTHER 1,027 AND 2,909 WORKERS RESPECTIVELY.

/THE SPOKESMAN