XN000022-1992-07-01 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 1992

IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL POLICY OF LOCALISATION, TWO SCHEMES HAD BEEN SET UP WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

WERE

THE FIRST WAS THE DOUBLE LADDER SCHEME, ESTABLISHED IN 1988, UNDER WHICH UP TO 30 ADDITIONAL SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL POSTS PROVIDED FOR THE PROMOTION OF LOCAL CROWN COUNSEL WITH POTENTIAL.

THE SECOND WAS THE DEVELOPMENT POSTS SCHEME, SET UP LAST WHICH ALLOWED UP TO 18 LOCAL SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL TO BE SELECTED GROOMING FOR EVENTUAL PROMOTION TO DIRECTORATE POSTS.

YEAR

FOR

MR MATHEWS SAID SO FAR THE RESULTS OF THESE TWO SCHEMES WERE ENCOURAGING.

LOCALISATION OF SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL HAD MORE THAN DOUBLED, FROM 23 PER CENT IN 1988 TO 47 PER CENT THIS YEAR, AND THE RATE OF WASTAGE OF LOCAL OFFICERS IN THE DEPARTMENT HAD DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 21.7 PER CENT IN 1988 TO 6.7 PER CENT LAST YEAR.

++

MOMENT

*ALTHOUGH LOCALISATION AT THE DIRECTORATE LEVEL AT THIS IS STILL RELATIVELY LOW AT 14 PER CENT, UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT POSTS SCHEME NINE LOCAL SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL ARE ALREADY ACTING IN VARIOUS POSTS AT

AT THE DIRECTORATE LEVEL, AND THREE MORE WILL DO SO OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.

"I THEREFORE EXPECT то SEE MORE LOCAL OFFICERS IN THE DIRECTORATE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, HE SAID.

"

NOTING THAT AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS OF OVERSEAS OFFICERS WAS CARRIED OUT BY THE GOVERNMENT, MR MATHEWS SAID IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S LATEST REVIEW, CARRIED OUT IN APRIL THIS YEAR, THE AGREEMENTS OF 65 OVERSEAS OFFICERS WHICH WOULD EXPIRE BETWEEN OCTOBER 1993 AND SEPTEMBER 1994 WERE COVERED.

THE DEPARTMENT HAD RECOMMENDED TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH THAT THE AGREEMENTS OF 18 OVERSEAS OFFICERS AT VARIOUS RANKS EITHER NOT BE RENEWED, OR IN CERTAIN CASES BE EXTENDED FOR UP TO ONE YEAR ONLY, AS COMPARED WITH THE MORE USUAL TWO YEARS.

IN FILLING THE VACATED POSTS AT THE PROMOTION LEVEL, MR MATHEWS SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY WAS TO CONSIDER LOCAL AND OVERSEAS OFFICERS ON EQUAL TERMS IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR TERMS OF APPOINTMENT, SINCE THE OVERRIDING AIM WAS TO SELECT THE BEST PERSON AVAILABLE.

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ALTHOUGH 1 CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT ALL THE PROMOTION POSTS WHICH WILL BECOME AVAILABLE IN 1993 AND 1994 WILL BE FILLED BY LOCAL OFFICERS, I AM CONFIDENT THAT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER WILL BE.

"SIMILARLY, I CANNOT GIVE AN ASSURANCE THAT THE CONSEQUENTIAL VACANCIES IN THE RECRUITMENT RANK OF CROWN COUNSEL WILL ALL BE FILLED BY LOCAL CANDIDATES.

"THE GOVERNMENT'S LOCALISATION POLICY IS TO GIVE PREFERENCE ΤΟ LOCAL CANDIDATES AT THE RECRUITMENT LEVEL."

HOWEVER, IF THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH SUITABLY QUALIFIED LOCAL CANDIDATES TO FILL THE VACANCIES, TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT, APPLICATIONS FROM OVERSEAS CANDIDATES WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED, SAID MR MATHEWS.

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