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Following is a question by the Hon Lau Ping Cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (June 18) :

Question:

With respect to the professional grades in the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC), will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

(a) the KCRC's remuneration policy in respect of these grades;

(b) the names of these grades and the ranks in each grade, those professional grades with entry qualifications and ranks comparable to those of the civil service, and how the two compare in terms of salary scales; and

(c) the professional grades with duties and ranks not found in the establishment of the civil service, and the justifications for these grades' being classified as professional grades?

Reply :

Madam President,

It is KCRC's policy to align the pay levels and fringe benefits of jobs, including those performed by professionals, with those of similar jobs in companies which the Corporation has selected as external benchmarks. These benchmark companies include those in the transportation, banking and engineering industries as well as public utilities companies. The underlying policy is that the Corporation should maintain its pay competitiveness with its external benchmark companies.

KCRC is a statutory body operating on prudent commercial principles o construct and operate railways. To carry out its business, the Corporation has to employ professionals in a variety of occupational groups. The occupational groups which require specific professional qualifications or accreditations are set out at Annex. The entry requirements for appointment to the entry ranks of these occupational groups are, in general terms, a recognized degree or professional qualifications and three years' relevant experience.

In general, the occupational groups listed at Annex comprise up to four ranks, namely, Officer (entry rank), Senior Officer, Executive Manager and General Manager.

All occupational groups employed by the Corporation as listed at Annex can be found in the civil service. However, the professionals employed by the Corporation may carry out different functions in pursuance of the railway business as compared with their counterparts in the civil service. For instance, engineers are employed by the Corporation to develop railway signalling systems and such posts do not exist in the civil service.

In view of the differences in the functions and responsibilities of professional staff in KCRC and civil servants in the same professional groups, it would not be meaningful to make a direct comparison of their respective pay levels.

End/Wednesday, June 18, 2003

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Annex

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List of occupational groups which require specific professional qualifications or accreditations

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                          Disciplines where applicable


Occupational Groups   (qualifications required are put in bracket)


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Transport               (a degree in Transport Management or


                         membership of the Chartered Institute 


                         of Logistics and Transport)




Engineers               Civil, Electrical, Mechanical,


                        Electronics, Building Services,


                        Signalling, Telecommunications


                        and Computer Engineering


                        (a degree and/or professional


                        qualifications in the relevant


                        engineering discipline)




Architects              (a degree and/or professional


                         qualifications in Architecture)




Surveyors               Building, Quantity, Estate


                        and Land Surveyors (a degree and/or


                        professional qualifications


                        (in the relevant surveying discipline)




Project Planning       (a degree and/or professional


                        qualifications in Engineering or


                        Transport Planning)




Environmental Management  (a degree and/or professional


                           qualifications in Environmental


                           Engineering or Environmental


                           Science)




Property Development       (a degree and/or professional


                           qualifications in Architecture,


                           Structural Engineering, Town

						   
                           Planning or Surveying)




Accountant                 (a degree and/or professional


                           qualifications in Accounting)




Legal Counsel             (a degree and/or professional 


                           qualifications in Law)




Information Technology     (a degree or professional


Services                   qualifications in Computer


                            Science)




Risk Management & Safety    (a degree in Risk Management,


                             Environmental Studies, or


                             Health and Safety)