XN000022-1993-11-10 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1993

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LOCALISATION POLICY TO BE IMPLEMENTED FIRMLY AND FAIRLY

POLICY

THERE IS NO INHERENT CONFLICT BETWEEN THE LOCALISATION AND THE RECENTLY INTRODUCED MEASURE OF ALLOWING CONTRACT OFFICERS' APPOINTED ON OVERSEAS TERMS TO APPLY FOR TRANSFER TO LOCAL TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MR STUART HARBINSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

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IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LI WAH-MING, MR HARBINSON SAID IT USED TO BE THE PRACTICE OF THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO ENTERTAIN APPLICATION FROM A CONTRACT OFFICER ALREADY SERVING ON OVERSEAS. CONDITIONS FOR A NEW CONTRACT ON LOCAL CONDITIONS.

"WE WOULD NOW CONSIDER SUCH AN APPLICATION, BUT ONLY IN RESPECT OF A PERMANENT RESIDENT OF HONG KONG, SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS BEING MET, AND ON AN INTERIM BASIS OF ONE CONTRACT ONLY.

"WITH THIS ONE CHANGE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO INVOLVE LIMITED NUMBERS, THE LOCALISATION POLICY CONTINUES TO BE IMPLEMENTED FIRMLY AND FAIRLY," HE STATED.

AS ANNOUNCED RECENTLY, THE GOVERNMENT WISHED TO MOVE TOWARDS OVERSEAS AND LOCAL CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR FUTURE

ABOLISHING APPOINTMENTS.

IT IS ENVISAGED THAT "LOCALISATION" WOULD STILL BR A KEY FEATURE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S FUTURE EMPLOYMENT POLICY.

"BUT WITH THE PHASING OUT OF DIFFERENTIAL CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, WE WOULD NEED TO DEVISE A NEW AND POSITIVE DEFINITION OF WHO IS 'LOCAL', SAID MR HARBINSON.

"THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF A WIDE-RANGING CONSULTATIVE EXERCISE ON WHICH WE HAVE NOW EMBARKED.

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ASKED ABOUT THE MEANING OF "LOCALISATION" MR HARBINSON SAID IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYMENT, IT MEANT THE POLICY UNDER WHICH AN OVERSEAS PERSON WAS APPOINTED ONLY IF A FULLY QUALIFIED AND SUITABLE LOCAL PERSON WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT COULD NOT BE MODIFIED TO ENABLE A LOCAL, IN PREFERENCE AN OVERSEAS, APPOINTMENT.

AN "OVERSEAS PERSON" IS SIMPLY SOMEONE WHO MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT ON OVERSEAS CONDITIONS OF SERVICE "LOCAL PERSON" MEANS SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR CONDITIONS OF SERVICE, HE ADDED.

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RELEVANT WHILE A OVERSEAS

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