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Following is the media session (English portion) by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, at the Central Government Offices today (June 26):
Reporter: Which are these organisations and how about the pay cut...?
Chief Secretary for Administration: No, what we are suggesting is not a pay cut as such because a report indicates that 60 to 70 per cent of the organisations we have surveyed have really been remunerating their staff at a level consistent with what has been recommended by the consultants. What we are suggesting is that we have made a benchmark salaries. We are asking the governing boards or the governing committees of these organisations to examine and to refer to the recommendations made, and to make a response to us within six months as regards any discrepancy or any deviation from the benchmark we have proposed.
Reporter: Which are the organisations you think should face the cuts...?
Chief Secretary for Administration: This is not the question that the consultancy reports try to answer. We have made a recommendation, what we believe, to be a right benchmark salaries of the Heads, Deputy heads and Assistant Heads of these organisations. Our recommendations are being made to the governing boards and the advisory and governing committees. It will be up to the boards and committees to consider these recommendations and to justify any discrepancy they have discovered. And they are going to make a report within six months. I think that is a fair arrangement.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)
End/Wednesday, June 26, 2002
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