ENG-1995 — Page 156

EMPLOYMENT

Foreign Workers

The Immigration Department controls the entry of foreign workers. Foreigners may work or invest in Hong Kong if they possess a special skill, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong, or if they can make a substantial contribution to the economy.

The department applies the policy in a flexible manner. Genuine businessmen and entrepreneurs are welcome to establish a presence in Hong Kong, bringing with them capital and expertise. Qualified professionals, technical staff, administrators and managerial personnel are also admitted with minimum formalities. During the year, 19 030 professionals and persons with technical, administrative or managerial skills from more than 60 countries were admitted for employment.

To meet the special need identified by the business sector, the government introduced a pilot scheme in April 1994 to let local employers bring in 1 000 professionals and specialists from China. So far, 349 of these professionals have been admitted. Apart from persons with special expertise, employers could also import skilled workers and experienced operatives under the General Importation of Labour Scheme. During the year, 8 000 such workers were admitted, bringing the total to 11973. In addition, to facilitate the construction of the new airport and related projects, contractors were allowed to bring in construction workers from overseas. During the year, 5 751 workers were admitted, bringing the total to 10 879.

Foreign Domestic Helpers

The entry of foreign domestic helpers is subject to the conditions that they have experience in that field of work, that their employers are bona fide Hong Kong residents who are prepared to offer reasonable terms of employment including wages and accommodation, and that the employers are willing to provide for the helpers' maintenance in the territory as well as the costs of repatriation to their country of origin.

In the past few years, the demand for foreign domestic helpers has increased steadily. In 1995, there were 157 026 such helpers in Hong Kong, representing an increase of 11.1 per cent compared with 141 368 in 1994. About 83.5 per cent of these domestic helpers were citizens of the Philippines.

Employment Agencies

The Labour Department's Employment Agencies Administration enforces Part XII of the Employment Ordinance and the Employment Agency Regulations monitoring the operation of employment agencies through licensing. It issued 1 185 licences in 1995.

Employment Outside Hong Kong

The External Employment Service administers the Contracts for Employment Outside Hong Kong Ordinance in safeguarding the interests of local employees engaged to work outside Hong Kong for foreign employers. All such employment contracts involving manual workers, or non-manual employees with monthly wages not exceeding $20,000, must be attested by the Commissioner for Labour. The department attested 16 contracts in 1995.

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