TNAG-2600-FCO40-3788-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 19

18 JUN 1992

فيكم

the senior non-expatriate officers

room G13 central government offices

east wing ground floor

lower albert road

hong kong

our ref.

your ref.

010/11

association

g.p.o. box 1007 telephone 5-95267

Mr. Christopher F. Patten,

Governor Designate of Hong Kong,

c/o Foreign and Commonwealth Office,

London,

SW1 2AH,

United Kingdom.

Dear Sir,

mola

10 June 1992

cc. PS/GH

For Advice on reply pl

cc. dr. Ricketts, HUD.

J2216

On your appointment to be the next Governor of Hong Kong, I am directed by my Association, the Senior Non-Expatriate Officers Association (SNEOA), to submit this letter to you. The purpose of this letter is to inform you, in a very brief manner, two major issues which are confronting the Civil Service of Hong Kong.

2.

The SNEOA is one of the three constituent associations of the Senior Civil Service Council established under the "1968 Agreement between the Hong Kong Government and the Main Staff Asso- ciations". Our members are local professional and senior managerial officers forming the backbone of the Hong Kong Civil Service.

3.

Sir, members of this Association, and indeed most of the local officers of the Hong Kong Government, are invariably dis- appointed at and frustrated with the slow pace of implementing the localization policy. Whilst this policy has been in existence since 1946, its implementation has been painfully slow. Time and again, we urged the Administration to quicken the pace of localization in various departments of the Hong Kong Government, but what we instead were many local officers having been denied advancements just in order to save the contracts of those expatriate officers. These unfair arrangements have affected adversely the morale and generated considerable amount of ill feelings among the local officers.

4.

saw

Another area which is causing serious concern of our members is the lack of opportunity given to the professional officers. The Hong Kong Government, which basically still follows the structure of that of past colonies, is adopting the old way of filling top directorate posts by Administrative Officers. It is indeed no exaggeration to point out that many professional officers view this arrangement with anger and resentment, as they see their advancements having been blocked, unfairly and unjustifiably, by some Administra- tive Officers who have little, or even in some cases, no knowledge at all, of their respective professions.

/.....