Following is the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa' s question-and-answer session (English part) in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Thursday):

Mrs Elsie Tu: ...I' d would like to ask the CE a question about imported labour, I am glad that you have promised to give priority to local workers. But unemployed workers have told me that some bad employers advertise a job, interview the applicants but offer them only half the normal wage for the job knowing that they will refuse the job, and then they report, "Well, I can't find workers, I need imported workers". They then offer a full salary to the imported workers but find a tricky way of paying only half. What sort of action can you take against them to stop this happening?

CE: I think we need to be very vigilant to all these bad practices and I am sure the Government will do everything possible, and I think recent examples have shown Government's determination in this respect. I think whether we will import labour or not will very much depend on firstly, when jobs must first be offered to Hong Kong people and if there is only a real shortage then we talk about importation of labour. And there are two committees that have been set up within the Government for different industries. The committees consist of people from the Government, from the Labour Union, from the employers' side, from the Vocational Training, to make sure that all resources are being exhausted and what needs to be done, if there is a need to import any labour or not. And this is a very good way of moving forward. Let us be patient, let them get through with these studies before we decide how to move forward. But one thing is for sure, if there is a decision to move forward then we have to be very sure that these abuses which you talked about do not exist.

Mrs Elsie Tu: If I may follow up, would it be possible to make some agreement with the workers themselves that it would be a criminal offence if they accepted less than a salary that is offered to them?

CE: I think there are some suggestions on the table what would be the salaries offered; medium salaries; would some of the salaries, actually part of the salary be paid into the Government as a training fund. And these are the things that need to be looked at. But certainly, there cannot be any abuse of this.