XN000022-1994-02-02 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1994

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GOVERNOR: I'VE MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT EMPLOYERS, THOUGH IT'S FINALLY A MATTER FOR THEM, WE'VE SUGGESTED THAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD ALL SET OUT IN THEIR ANNUAL REPORTS WHAT THEIR POLICY IS ON RECRUITING AND EMPLOYING THE DISABLED. I THINK THAT WILL BE A VERY GOOD STEP FORWARD. IT'S CERTAINLY FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO GIVE A LEAD. I HOPED THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FIGURE ISN'T AS GREAT AS YOU WOULD LIKE, THAT YOU WOULD RECOGNISE THAT IT'S CONSIDERABLY GREATER THAN IN ALMOST ANY OTHER SECTOR OF SOCIETY AND IT MAY BE YOU THINK THAT'S IN THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY OR IN THE MEDIA IN GENERAL, MORE OPPORTUNITIES COULD BE PROVIDED FOR THE DISABLED. AND IF YOU GOT UP TO THE PERCENTAGE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE YOU'LL BE DOING RATHER BETTER THAN AT THE MOMENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

SUMMIT MEETING TO PROMOTE OPEN EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED

LAM,

THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR W K SAID WHILE MANY EMPLOYERS COMPLAINED ABOUT MANPOWER SHORTAGE, NOT MANY OF THEM THOUGHT ABOUT TAPPING A VERY VALUABLE SOURCE OF MANPOWER READILY AVAILABLE TO THEM.

HE WAS REFERRING TO THE DISABLED IN THE COMMUNITY.

SPEAKING AT THE SUMMIT MEETING ON OPEN EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED PERSONS THIS (WEDNESDAY) MORNING, MR LAM NOTED THAT THERE WERE ABOUT 600 EMPLOYERS ON THE "WILLING" LIST OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S SELECTIVE PLACEMENT DIVISION.

THOUGH IT IS ENCOURAGING, IT IS STILL FAR FROM SATISFACTORY.

**WE

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HAVE A MUCH LARGER POOL OF NEARLY 250,000 EMPLOYERS, HE SAID. "IF MORE OF THEM ARE WILLING TO TAKE ON THE DISABLED, WE CAN DO MUCH BETTER IN ENHANCING THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE DISABLED AND AT THE SAME TIME IN ALLEVIATING THE MANPOWER SHORTAGE PROBLEM THAT WE FACE."

MR

THE TWO-HOUR MEETING WAS CHAIRED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN. ALSO ATTENDING WERE THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG; THE SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE, MICHAEL SZE; AND REPRESENTATIVES OF DISABLED GROUPS AND EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATIONS.

ADDRESSING THE GATHERING, MRS WONG SAID OPEN EMPLOYMENT WAS ONE OF THE KEYS TO THE TRUE INTEGRATION OF DISABLED PERSONS INTO THE COMMUNITY.

IT BRINGS ABOUT SELF-RESPECT AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE, THE HELPING DISABLED PERSONS TO BECOME CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY.

BETWEEN NOW AND 1996/97, THE GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND ABOUT $33 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC EDUCATION ON REHABILITATION. ABOUT $2 MILLION WILL BE ALLOCATED TO THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TO PROMOTE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TALENTS AND WORKING ABILITIES OF PERSONS.

DISABLED

/MRS WONG