ENG-1996 — Page 378

PUBLIC ORDER

294

Other important work has involved reviewing government departments' management of attendance records and overtime claims by junior staff, particularly out-door staff. Controls are now in place and supervisors are aware of their responsibilities.

The department also advises through numerous committees and working groups. Significant work of this type in 1996 has been on reviewing the government's tendering arrangements, the performance of contractors on government construction projects, and in evaluating bids for new telecommunication licences to meet Hong Kong's ever-expanding needs.

Community Relations

The Community Relations Department educates the public against the evils of corruption and enlists community support to fight the problem. It also aims to promote higher ethical standards in social and business matters. It works through the mass media and personal approaches by its eight regional offices to different target audiences.

The department launched a business ethics campaign in 1994. Since then, over 60 per cent of 2 616 listed companies, large private companies and trade/professional associations contacted have drawn up codes of conduct. Starting from mid-1996, the department took the campaign further by assisting these companies to promulgate their codes to staff via training. About 1 800 talks were given for 50 000 staff from these companies during the year.

The Hong Kong Ethics Development Centre set up under the auspices of the ICAC and supported by six major chambers of commerce continued to provide a full range of services free of charge, including training for staff, tailor-made consultancy service on systems control, and provision of reference materials.

To maintain a clean civil service, the department produced a guide book on corruption prevention for middle managers and a direct-mail product targeted at front-line officers. Follow-up seminars were also organised.

Promotion of youth ethics was also a major initiative during the year. A large-scale conference was held in March attended by more than 400 participants. The conference discussed strategies to enhance the ethical standards of young people in Hong Kong. To cater to the needs of various age groups, different products were developed for use by tertiary, secondary and primary schools. Moral education training was also extended to kindergartens through cartoon booklets.

Co-operation with China on the non-operational front continued. During the year talks were organised for 3 000 PRC officials visiting Hong Kong. The Commissioner led a delegation to visit the procuratorates in Beijing and Guangzhou in the autumn. ICAC officers also gave talks at courses in the new training centre of the Guangdong Provincial People's Procuratorate in Guangzhou.

Advertisements continued to be produced to educate the public on the evils of corruption and enlist their support.

International Co-operation

The commission continues to enhance international co-operation by liaison with other anti-corruption organisations and overseas law enforcement agencies.