TNAG-1986-FCO40-2819-Presentation-of-UK-policy-on-Hong-Kong-to-the-media-1989 — Page 7

should be made to

second those civil

civil servants who choose to retain their civil

civil service status to the new RTHK.

16

>

to

the

The Board will have the power to determine its own staffing policies, including the power to hire and fire, in respect of its own new employees. It may also decide on the terms and conditions of appointment having regard similar jobs in the private sector, but subject to overall terms not exceeding those in the civil service. Board will also oversee recruitment for any new posts. order to enhance operational flexibility, it is likely that new RTHK employees would be offered contract terms.

Implement at ion

The

In

17

If the proposal to turn RTHK into an independent public broadcasting corporation is approved by Members, new legislation will be required and RTHK will have to embark upon a process of dis-establishment. In order to establish the Board of Governors as early as possible, we propose to turn RTHK into an independent public broadcasting corporation by stages

(a) in the first stage, a working group within

the Administration will be formed to

to lay

(b)

(c)

the groundwork for the broadcasting corporation legislative, financial

future public including the

and staffing

arrangements. This should take about nine months. We aim to establish the Board no later than 1 April 1990;

,

at the end of the first stage when the legislative and staffing arrangements have been finalized dis-establishment will take place and RTHK will

RTHK will become

become a public broadcast ing corporation operating under its Board of Governors. The second stage will be a transition period in respect of the financial arrangements for RTHK. The new corporation will be granted a subvention on a cash basis initially but it will start setting up its own cost ing systems in order that

that the subvention may eventually be granted on a cost basis;

the third and final stage is achieved when the subvention is granted on

granted on a cost basis, at which time RTHK will have finally become an independent public broadcasting corporation.

CONFIDENTIAL