XN000022-1996-09-12 — Page 14

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On labour importation scheme, he reiterated that the objectives of SLS were to ensure that local workers would have priority in employment, and that only those employers who were genuinely unable to recruit local workers for certain vacancies would be allowed to import workers to fill such places.

He encouraged employers and employees to give their views when the administration conduct a review of the Scheme after 2,000 visa applications have been approved.

Outlining the significant changes that had been introduced when SLS was introduced in February, Mr Wong said the administration had dispensed with the much-criticised industry quota system by allowing each application to be considered on its own merits, mainly through the wage and job requirement screening process and the mandatory local recruitment test.

In addition, SLS is a more open and transparent scheme than the previous General Labour Importation Scheme as the operation is being monitored by the Labour Advisory Board. So far, 900 applications for imported workers covering a wide variety of posts have been approved.

To guard against abuses of the labour importation schemes, the Labour Department has introduced a series of measures such as stepping up inspections, conducting more on-site briefings for workers to familiarise them with their rights and benefits and setting up a 24-hour complaints and interactive telephone enquiry service.

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Considerable successes action against illegal employment

The Government has achieved considerable successes in recent months in combating illegal employment through a combination of enforcement action, legislative and administrative improvements and public education, the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, said.

With the doubling of the size of the Immigration Task Force since last October, Mr Lai Laid from January to August this year the Immigration Department had conducted 985 anti-illegal employment operations, including joint operations with the Police and the Labour Department.