TNAG-0916-FCO40-1127-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-servants-in-Hong-K-1979 — Page 187

G.S. 84

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XCR(79)176

(set out in Civil Service Regulation 109) that merit (as reflected in character and ability) is the main factor taken into account in determining suitability for promotion. Seniority is given due weight only where no eligible officer otherwise stands out clearly as the most suitable.

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The same applies to recommendation (xxvi) concerning acting appointments, which is already reflected in Civil Service Regulations 160 and 170. It may well be that the Commission's point here is that although these are the policies, the representations indicate that in practice they are not always observed. The extent to which the se policies are applied effectively will be investigated.

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Efficiency bars. Recommendation (xxvii) is that efficiency bars should be abolished, except where they require success in an examination. However, this is subject to the proviso that this should not be implemented until it is administratively possible to withhold an increment on the grounds of inefficiency. These are important and useful linked recommendations. It is true that in practice efficiency bars have proved to be ineffective. There are almost 1, 000 ranks on the Master Pay Scale, of which about a quarter have efficiency bars in their salary scales. In the four year period ending in 1977/78, only 18 officers have been held back at the bar. It is also true that Civil Service Regulation 452 concerning the stoppage or deferment of increments only cover unsatisfactory "conduct or diligence" and not "inefficiency".

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At present, inefficiency can only be dealt with by refusing passage over an efficiency bar or by formal disciplinary procedures leading to premature retirement in the public interest. It is agreed that it would be desirable to be able to stop or defer increments on the grounds of inefficiency although there are practical problems of implementation because inefficiency is difficult to define and is mostly a matter of subjective assessments. However, the recommendation is acceptable in principle and the Civil Service Branch is currently examining ways of making the pre sent arrangements more effective.

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Model Scale 1. Recommendations (xxx) to (xxxiii) concern Model Scale 1, the scale from which labourers and artisans are paid. The main recommendation is that the Government should continue to reduce differences in Model Scale 1 and Master Pay Scale fringe benefits, but for the time being that no further action should be taken on pensionability for Model Scale 1 employees. The long term future of Model Scale 1 employees is deferred for further study, as is the possibility of introducing a non-contributory provident fund.

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