XN000022-1993-08-02 — Page 2

MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 1993

LOCALISATION PROGRESSES SATISFACTORILY: COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE EFFECT OF THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT, RELATING TO OVERSEAS AGREEMENT OFFICERS WHO ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS HENCEFORTH BEING ABLE TO APPLY FOR LOCAL TERMS OF SERVICE, IS BRING EXAGGERATED IN SOME QUARTERS.

"I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT, OVERALL, THIS WILL HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, " THE CHAIRMAN, MR AUGUSTINE K CHUI, SAID.

"THERE ARE ALTOGETHER 1,260 DIRECTORATE OFFICERS IN THE GOVERNMENT. OF THESE, ONLY 174 (14%) ARE ON OVERSEAS AGREEMENT TERMS.

"IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW MANY OF THE LATTER WILL APPLY ΤΟ TRANSFER TO LOCAL TERMS. PROBABLY AT THE END OF THE DAY NOT VERY MANY WILL ACTUALLY TRANSFER, FOR VARIOUS REASONS. NOT ALL WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO BECOME PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN ANY CASE."

PROGRESSING

TO DIRECTORATE (70%) WERE IN

MR CHUI ALSO SAID IN HIS VIEW LOCALISATION WAS SATISFACTORILY ON THE WHOLE. OF 106 PROMOTIONS RANKS PROCESSED BY THE COMMISSION IN 1992/93, 74 RESPECT OF LOCAL OFFICERS. MR CHUI STRESSED THAT PROMOTIONS ARE DECIDED SOLELY ON MERIT.

IN ADDITION, OF A TOTAL OF 11,322 NEW RECRUITS то THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE IN 1992/93, ONLY 85 (LESS THAN 1%) WERE ON OVERSEAS TERMS. OVERSEAS RECRUITMENT HAS BEEN DECLINING AS THE SUPPLY OF QUALIFIED LOCAL CANDIDATES HAS IMPROVED OVER THE YEARS.

"FURTHERMORE, IT IS READILY APPARENT THAT LOCAL OFFICERS ARE INCREASINGLY FILLING THE SENIOR POSITIONS AT HEAD OF DEPARTMENT LEVEL OR ABOVE. THE LOCALISATION POLICY WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE GOOD PROGRESS," HE SAID.

UNDER CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS, THE PUBLIC SERVICE MUST BE CONSULTED BEFORE ANY CANDIDATE FOR EMPLOYMENT OVERSEAS TERMS OF SERVICE.

COMMISSION IS OFFERED

"I AM PLEASED TO NOTE THAT, UNDER CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS, THE STATUS OF CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT (THAT IS, WHETHER THE PERSON IS TO BE APPOINTED ON LOCAL OR OVERSEAS TERMS) IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN DECIDED ON GROUNDS OF RACE.

"THUS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE QUITE A FEW ETHNICALLY CHINESE OFFICERS ON OVERSEAS TERMS OF SERVICE, AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF NON-CHINESE OFFICERS ON LOCAL TERMS OF SERVICE.

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"I BELIEVE THAT IT IS ONLY RIGHT THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE PREPARED TO MAKE A COMMITMENT ΤΟ SERVE HONG KONG BY BECOMING PERMANENT RESIDENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO APPLY TO TRANSFER TO LOCAL TERMS, REGARDLESS OF RACE. THIS IS IN FACT IN LINE WITH THE PRINCIPLE UNDERLYING THE POLICY ALL ALONG AND I AM PLEASED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN THIS ACTION."

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