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(ii) In what ways will management of field officers be improved, in order to reach the requirement of the EPP?
(iii) Since the Council's approval for contract staff to be engaged to take up vacancies of Assistant Clerical Officers in UC libraries, in order to suit the working hours of those posts, how has the Department made 'enhanced productivity materialize? Please give figures of savings and results actually achieved.'
MR. SUEN KAI-CHEONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied (in Cantonese):—Mr. Daniel To's question is in three parts. The first part of the question asks in what ways the Divisions in the Department will meet the aims of the EPP and what the expected savings in terms of resources are.
To cope with the fierce challenges arising from the abrupt and significant downturn in the economy, the Chief Executive announced in his Policy Address on 7 October 1998 the launch of the Enhanced Productivity Programme (EPP). The highlights of the programme are as follows:
(i) Government departments and agencies are required to introduce new services or improve existing services without obtaining additional financial resources so as to deliver productivity gains.
(ii) It should be ensured that, in implementing the EPP, the quality of public services will not deteriorate.
(iii) Deductions of 1%, 3% and 5% (on a cumulative basis) from the baseline expenditure for the years 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 will be made.
(iv) The Civil Service Bureau and the Finance Bureau will provide the department heads with greater flexibility in the use of resources and introduce one-line votes for a few selected departments. Some of the measures are:
• Departments should avoid the creation of new posts as far as possible and should meet the manpower requirement for new services by flexible deployment of existing resources and streamlining of working procedures.
• Departments should make use of appointments on contract and employ staff on a short-term basis for more effective use of resources.
• Departments should contract out more services to the private sector and streamline the manpower resources.
The Treasury has indicated that it will not instruct the Urban Services Department (USD) to implement the EPP because the USD is the executive arm of the PUC which is financially independent. But it is hoped the Department would give its support and implement the programme.
As a matter of fact, the PUC is facing financial difficulties. Therefore we will, where appropriate, implement the various flexible measures under this programme so as to cut down on expenditure and to improve the PUC's
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(ii) In what ways will management of field officers be improved, in order to
reach the requirement of the EPP?
(iii) Since the Council's approval for contract staff to be engaged to take up vacancies of Assistant Clerical Officers in UC libraries, in order to suit the working hours of those posts, how has the Department made 'enhanced productivity materialize? Please give figures of savings and results actually achieved.'
MR. SUEN KAI-CHEONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT Committee, replied (in Cantonese):—Mr. Daniel To's question is in three parts. The first part of the question asks in what ways the Divisions in the Department will meet the aims of the EPP and what the expected savings in terms of resources are.
To cope with the fierce challenges arising from the abrupt and significant downturn in the economy, the Chief Executive announced in his Policy Address on 7 October 1998 the launch of the Enhanced Productivity Programme (EPP). The highlights of the programme are as follows:
(i) Government departments and agencies are required to introduce new services or improve existing services without obtaining additional financial resources so as to deliver productivity gains.
(ii) It should be ensured that, in implementing the EPP. the quality of
public services will not deteriorate.
(iii) Deductions of 1%, 3% and 5% (on a cumulative basis) from the baseline expenditure for the years 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 will be made. (iv) The Civil Service Bureau and the Finance Bureau will provide the department heads with greater flexibility in the use of resources and introduce one-line votes for a few selected departments. Some of the
measures are:
•
•
•
Departments should avoid the creation of new posts as far as possible and should meet the manpower requirement for new services by flexible deployment of existing resources and streamlining of working procedures.
Departments should make use of appointments on contract and employ staff on a short-term basis for more effective use of resources, Departments should contract out more services to the private sector and streamline the manpower resources.
The Treasury has indicated that it will not instruct the Urban Services Department (USD) 10 implement the EPP because the USD is the executive arm of the PUC which is financially independent. But it is hoped the Department would give its support and implement the programme.
As a matter of fact, the PUC is facing financial difficulties. Therefore we will, where appropriate, implement the various flexible measures under this programme so as to cut down on expenditure and to improve the PUC's
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