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The spokesman said a pilot scheme of the Fast Track System earlier this year involving a small number of ship's agents had proved successful.

The Port Formalitics Office has been holding five seminars on the system for some 450 ship's agents.

There were about 1,400 ocean-going vessels a month visiting Hong Kong in early 1989. The number rose to some 3,240 in May this year.

End/Saturday, December 31, 1994

Labour Department performance pledge enters second phase

The Labour Department today (Saturday) announced the second phase of its performance pledge which will start in January.

The second phase sets out performance standards for a wide range of services including a number of new service areas.

The new areas include employment service for disabled job-seekers, licensing of employment agencies, careers guidance to young people. attestation of contracts for employment outside Hong Kong and protection of wages on insolvency.

Services already covered in the first phase such as employment service for able-bodied job-seekers, conciliation of labour disputes, employees' compensation, pressure equipment safety, registration of trade unions and General Enquiry Telephone Service will also be covered in the second phase.

A Labour Department spokesman said the new pledge would improve the quality of services offered by the department in 1995.

"Our aim is always to provide efficient, courteous and professional services to the public in a clean and friendly environment," he said.

Reviewing the department's performance in the first phase of the performance pledge from August 1993 to December 1994, the spokesman noted that targets were met in over 98 per cent of all the cases handled.