XN000022-1992-11-06 — Page 2

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1992

SCS PLEDGES MORE SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS

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THE SERVING THE COMMUNITY INITIATIVE ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS IS IN LINE WITH THE SELF-IMPROVING TRADITION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SAID.

ALTHOUGH MANY WOULD BE SCEPTICAL, HE NOTED, THE TRACK RECORD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE PROVES THAT IT CAN INITIATE CHANGE AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY.

"AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO," HS SAID.

SPRAKING AT THE RETAIL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION NINTH ANNIVERSARY DINNER THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING, MR WIGGHAM SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS INTRODUCED A NUMBER OF REFORMS AIMED AT IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE MACHINFRY.

"WE FEEL WE CAN NOW TAKE THE REFORM FURTHER BY PUSHING IT DOWN THE INDIVIDUAL CIVIL SERVANT, AND PUSHING IT OUT TO THE POINTS OF INTERFACE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS,

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HE SAID.

"THE OBJECTIVE IS TO IMPROVE THE SERVICES WE DELIVER то OUR CUSTOMERS, BY MEASURES SUCH AS PUBLICISING INTERNAL MANAGEMENT STANDARDS THAT DEPARTMENTS SET TO MONITOR THEIR OUTPUT; AND INTRODUCING MORE TRANSPARENT MEANS FOR THE PUBLIC TO MONITOR PERFORMANCE.

"THIS, I KNOW, IS AN AMBITIOUS TASK, GIVEN THAT THE GOVERNMENT' IS SUCH A HUGE ORGANISATION. WE SHALL THEREFORE ADOPT A STEADY AND IMPLEMENT THE EXERCISE IN PHASES.

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BUT MR WIGGHAM TOLD THE GATHERING THAT THE PUBLIC SERVICES BEEN UNDER CONSTANT CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS.

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HAD

HE QUOTED A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC AS SAYING THAT SINCE HIS LAST VISIT TO THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S LICENSING OFFICE THREE YEARS

AGO, IT HAD "IMPROVED FROM A NIGHTMARE PLACE TO A COMPETENT OFFICE",

MR WIGGHAM ALSO SAID THE AVERAGE PROCESSING TIME FOR HONG KONG RESIDENTS AT THE AIRPONT WAS REDUCED FROM ONE MINUTE TO 34 SECONDS FOLLOWING THE COMPUTERISATION OF THE CONTROL POINTS AND A NEW IDENTITY CARD FIVE YEARS AGO.

THE PROCESSING TIME WILL BE FURTHER REDUCED BY AROUND FIVE SECONDS WHEN THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTS ITS INFORMATION SYSTEM STRATEGY,

"THE REDUCTION OF FIVE SECONDS MAY NOT SOUND MUCH, BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF CUSTOMERS.

"I CAN'T HELP FEELING THAT HAD WE CHOSEN TO PUBLISH OUR SERVICE STANDARDS SOME YEARS AGO, MANY OF OUR IMPROVEMENTS WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT MUCH MORE APPARENT, EVEN DRAMATIC,' HE SAID.

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