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    Following is the transcript of a media session after the Launching Ceremony of the Television Programme on Work-life Balance given by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joseph W P Wong, today (March 19) on the review of policy on post-service employment of former directorate civil servants :

Reporter:  What are the proposals contained in the paper...?

Secretary: Well, the consultation paper proposes improvements in three main areas. The first area is to release the key data of the approved cases which would enhance transparency of the whole system and enable the public to better monitor the situation. The second area is to propose for those officers who have left the Government, but are still in their final leave, that they should not take up any remunerated employment in order to address the public's concern about the perception problem. The third area is to propose lengthening the sanitization period from a normal period of six months to twelve months. These of course are the main improvements. There are a lot of details included in the arrangements.

    We have issued the paper for consultation within the Civil Service. We have also issued the paper for discussion by our Legislative councillors. I should also add that the improvements proposed in our consultation paper have actually taken into account the views expressed by the Legco members during the recent motion debate on this subject.

Reporter:  Mr Wong, would the one-year sanitization period be extended...?

Secretary: Well, this is something which I would like to hear views from different sectors, including our civil service colleagues. I think the important thing is we have to really balance the right of the retired civil servants to seek new employment and at the same time, address the concern of the community over a possible conflict of interest or sometimes merely a perception problem. We really have to find a balance. I believe the consultation paper has proposed the right balance but this is not the final decision yet. We would like to hear views from our civil service colleagues, from our Legco members, from our community at large before we could arrive at a final decision. Thank you.

(Please also refer to the Chinese transcript)

Ends/Saturday, March 19, 2005

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