XN000022-1994-03-30 — Page 18

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1994

CONSULTANTS EMPLOYED ON NON-CIVIL SERVANT APPOINTMENTS

THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTS CONSULTANTS WHOSE EXPERTISE IS NORMALLY UNAVAILABLE AMONG CIVIL SERVANTS OR OF A NATURE OR DURATION WHERE CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS ARE NEITHER COST-EFFECTIVE NOR APPROPRIATE.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY, MR DONALD IN HIS WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ERIC LI IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

TSANG

THE SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF GOVERNMENT HANDLED BY DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES, MR TSANG SAID.

THE

CONSULTANTS ARE

THERE ARE THREE MAJOR APPROVING AUTHORITIES FOR GOVERNMENT CONSULTANCIES: THE CENTRAL CONSULTANTS SELECTION BOARD, THE ENGINEERING AND ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS SELECTION BOARD AND THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ASSOCIATED CONSULTANTS SELECTION BOARD.

THE GOVERNMENT APPROVED A TOTAL OF 274 CONSULTANCIES DURING THE PERIOD 1991/92 TO 1993/94.

MR TSANG SAID SMALLER CONSULTANCY STUDIES VALUED AT LESS THAN $1 MILLION FOR SERVICES RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING WORKS AND $500,000 FOR OTHER SERVICES WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE FIGURE.

"THE APPOINTMENT OF INDIVIDUALS FOR NON-CIVIL SERVANT

APPOINTMENTS AS CONSULTANTS OR ADVISORS IS DEALT WITH BY HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY, SUBJECT TO THE ADVICE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION UNDER SPECIFIED CIRCUMSTANCES," HE NOTED.

BASED ON AVAILABLE STATISTICS, THE PUBLIC SERVICE APPROVED 23 CONSULTANTS APPOINTED IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL FROM 1991 TO 1993, HE SAID.

HAS

COMMISSION CAPACITIES

THE GOVERNMENT EXPECTS THERE TO BE A SMALL NUMBER OF CASES WHERE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS HAVE APPOINTED INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS UNDER DELEGATED AUTHORITY WITHOUT INVOLVING THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, HE ADDED.

"VALUE FOR MONEY" ON U.S. COMMISSIONER POST

THE

GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT TAXPAYERS ARE GETTING "VALUE MONEY" IN RESPECT OF THE POST OF COMMISSIONER IN WASHINGTON, USA.

FOR

"THE COMMISSIONER'S CREDIBILITY IS ENHANCED BY HIS SENIORITY AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN HONG KONG," THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR T H CHAU, SAID IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON EMILY LAU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SINCE TAKING OFFICE IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR, THE COMMISSIONER HAS CULTIVATED CONTACTS WITH MEMBERS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS AND THEIR CHIEF AIDES, SENIOR U.S. OFFICIALS AND LEADING PERSONALITIES IN THINK TANKS AND IN ACADEMIC AND MEDIA CIRCLES.

-

/"MANY OF