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Following is the letter issued by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joseph W P Wong, to all civil servants on "Making Progress through Communication" today (August 25):

Dear Colleagues,

As part of my initiative to broaden the depth and breadth of my contacts with colleagues, apart from having regular meetings with the staff sides of the central consultative councils and visiting one department every week, I started in last September a series of tea gatherings at which representatives from all civil service associations were invited to meet with me on a rotation basis. This one-hour informal session provided me with a valuable opportunity to listen to views of staff from a wide spectrum of background, respond to their enquiries and clarify rumours or speculations.

Recently, I have completed the first round of the tea gatherings after meeting nearly 600 staff representatives from 229 staff associations. The discussions had been very frank and constructive. I also received useful suggestions on how to enhance our work. I was most grateful to learn that they expressed firm commitment in assisting the Government to cope with the challenges ahead.

While staff representatives came from different departments and disciplines, many of them shared common concerns. For the benefit of those who were not there, I set out my response to some commonly-asked questions in the attached note. I hope you will find it helpful in better understanding the position of the Administration. In fact, as a standard advice given to these staff representatives, I suggest that you visit the Civil Service Bureau web-site (http://www.csb.gov.hk) whenever you want to know the latest news on civil service management.

In the coming months, we shall consult colleagues widely on our preliminary proposals on the development of an improved pay adjustment mechanism, including the conduct of a pay level survey, as well as the review of major types of allowances. These two exercises are essential to ensure that our civil service management system will keep up with the times. I assure you that there will be plenty opportunities for you to express your views.

Mr Wong's letter has been uploaded onto the Civil Service Bureau website at http://www.csb.gov.hk.

End/Monday, August 25, 2003

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• Enclosure: Frequently-asked Questions at the Secretary for the Civil Service's Tea Gatherings with Staff Associations (pdf format)