Secretary for Economic Services and the Secretary for Works examined these contract-related and task-specific requirements for labour, and have advised that a separate quota of initially 2 000 be established [*]. It is proposed that the same ground rules as those of the scheme for importing experienced operatives should apply, subject to there being no specifications as to skills.
Review of admission criteria and procedure
24
Having regard
to
the existing scheme for
administered.
At the
the criticism that has been made of importing technicians, craftsmen and supervisory personnel, the opportunity has been taken to review its admission criteria and the way in which it has been
present time, against a quota of 3 000, only 2 718 have been approved and only 1 809 visas have been issued.
The somewhat slow take-up is due to a number of factors. One difficulty can be attributed to the absence of guidance for prospective employers over the going wage and this has often led to argument between prospective employers and Government. A second difficulty can be traced to the requirement in the scheme that the prospective employer must not allow more than 20% of jobs of the same skill in his business to be filled by imported workers. This requirement has, in fact, resulted in the rejection of a considerable number of applications involving 1 561 jobs that otherwise would have been accepted. These problems can be overcome, partly by publishing median wages and accepting them as representing the going wages for imported labour, and partly by removing the 20% ceiling for imported workers.
It is proposed that this be applied throughout existing and proposed schemes of importation.
Proposed admission criteria for schemes experienced operatives and construction workers
25
for importing
The admission criteria and application procedure for experienced operatives and construction workers will follow closely those for technicians, craftsmen and supervisors.
The
as well as those relating to the likely to increase substantially The expected build-up
[*] But this requirement, port development, are
about 10 000 in the mid 1990s. is as follows
to
―
1991
1 800
1992
9 000
1993
10 800
1994
10 000
1995
12 000
1996
13 000
1997
7 000
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