********************************
Following is a transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, at a media session after the first meeting of the Steering Committee on Systemic Reform of the Marine Department at the Central Government Offices today (May 21):
Secretary for Transport and Housing: The Steering Committee on Systemic Reform of the Marine Department held its first meeting this morning. I am very grateful to the two members of the Committee, namely Ms Alice Tai and also Mr Irving Koo. Both of them are very experienced in public affairs, administration and management matters. Ms Tai, of course, is a former Ombudsman of Hong Kong.
At the meeting, we confirmed the terms of reference of the Steering Committee. Let me set out the three main tasks of the Committee.
First, to undertake a comprehensive review of passenger safety and local vessel regulation and inspection matters in the light of the recommendations in the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Collision of Vessels near Lamma Island, drawing up detailed improvement measures and seeing to their implementation.
Secondly, to review and re-engineer the business processes, operational procedures and supervisory structure in the Marine Department's management, to strengthen internal governance.
Finally, to map out a strategy to address the long-standing vacancy situation of the professional grades in the department and to develop a manpower training programme.
At the meeting, we have also discussed how to take our work further. Basically, to start with we will focus on matters relating to the safety side of vessels including the approval of plans, inspection and other measures in relation to safety standards. We have set out a kind of two-phase approach. In the first phase, probably in the coming four to six months, we will try to finalise recommendations to improve procedural operations. We hope that once we have got the improvement measures proposed, the implementation of these measures could take place without delay.
Afterwards, we will look at systemic and structural issues. Probably these issues have to do with the overall organisation of the department and how work is divided among various divisions and sections. Of course we will look at longer term issues including the manpower training aspect of the department.
The committee has decided to take a multi-pronged approach to our work. In addition to what the committee will be doing, we are also expecting the department itself to initiate internal discussions and reviews. We have also decided to invite the Efficiency Unit of the Government to do a scoping review of the department so that we know which aspects should be looked at and to what extent. We will then appoint a management consultant to assist our work. Of course at the same time we will be expecting the international marine experts, who will be appointed as advisors to the Marine Department, to provide professional input to our studies and to all aspects of our work.
As I said earlier, our committee initially will look at the safety aspects of vessels and passenger safety in Hong Kong waters. We are committed to having a comprehensive and deep look at the department because we know that the community is very concerned about marine safety and we hope that our work can help to restore public confidence in the safety standards of Hong Kong waters and of course in the work of the Marine Department.
(to be continued)
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:59
NNNN
