XN000022-1994-06-16 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1994

GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO ENHANCING ACCESS TO INFORMATION

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, TODAY (THURSDAY) ANNOUNCED PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S ACCESS TO INFORMATION,

A

THE PROPOSED MEASURES ARE:

* TO INTRODUCE IN EARLY 1995 A CODE OF PRACTICE WHICH WILL SET OUT CLEARLY THE TYPES OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION TO WHICH THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE ACCESS.

*

*

THE COMMISSIONER FOR

ΤΟ PROVIDE INDEPENDENT MONITORING, ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS WILL HANDLE PUBLIC COMPLAINTS ABOUT LACK OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE.

TO ADOPT DATA PROFECTION LEGISLATION WHICH WILL ALLOW INDIVIDUALS ACCESS TO THEIR PERSONAL DATA.

SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, MRS CHAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED THESE PROPOSALS TO BE "STRONG, PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE" WHICH TAKEN TOGETHER, WILL MEET PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS OF GREATER TRANSPARENCY FROM A MORE ACCOUNTABLE AND OPEN GOVERNMENT.

TO

SHE FIRMLY BELIEVED THAT THE MEASURES WERE THE RIGHT ONES TAKE AT THIS TIME TO SUPPORT GOVERNMENT'S POLICY OF MAKING AVAILABLE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO ENHANCE THE PUBLIC'S UNDERSTANDING OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

MRS CHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE MEASURES WOULD AFFECT THE CIVIL SERVICE AND CIVIL SERVANTS RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD.

SHE

AS HEAD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE, SHE MADE A COMMITMENT TODAY PHAT AND HER COLLEAGUES WOULD DO ALL THEY COULD TO ENSURE THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE MEASURES, WHICH THEY BELIEVED WOULD ENHANCE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SUEN, ALSO PLEDGED THE ADMINISTRATION'S STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLE OF AN OPEN AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT.

"OUR POLICY IS TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO ENHANCE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES.

HE SAID THE CODE OF PRACTICE ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION WOULD COMMIT THE GOVERNMENT TO GREATER TRANSPARENCY IN ITS WORK.

MR SUEN POINTED OUT THAT THE CODE WOULD BE UNDERPINNED PROVIDING FOR THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS (COMAC) TO HANDLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT NON-COMPLIANCE.

BY

HE SAID A NUMBER OF SPECIFIC ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES HAD BEEN TAKEN IN RECENT YEARS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED TO DO MORE IN THIS FIELD.

/IN ARRIVING