Dear colleagues,

Voluntary Retirement Scheme

On many recent occasions, quite a number of you from various departments and grades have asked me questions about the Voluntary Retirement (VR) Scheme. I will address these concerns in this letter.

First, I wish to remind eligible officers in the 59 designated grades that the deadline for VR application is 3 October 2000. That means you still have a month or so to make your decision. You may need to discuss with your family or visit the Staff Resource Centre for relevant information. Let me reiterate : the deadline will not be extended and no late applications will be entertained.

The VR Scheme is aimed at streamlining the structure of those grades with identified or anticipated surplus staff without resorting to forced redundancy. It offers a compensation package more favourable than the normal retirement terms. I must stress again that the Scheme is strictly voluntary in nature. It is up to the eligible officers to decide whether to join it or not.

We expect to complete the processing of all applications and inform the applicants of the results by the end of this year. In processing the applications, we will consider how redeployment can best be made in the 59 affected grades. We assure you that there will be no forced redundancy in the context of this exercise nor under the pretext of the Civil Service Reform.

For the vast majority of officers in the 59 grades, who are going to stay, we will continue to do our best to promote their well-being, and foster their efficiency and morale, including providing them with appropriate training, so as to avoid any disruption to our services for the community. I will announce the detailed arrangements in due course.

As I have said before, we are now in an unprecedented age which is knowledge-based and technology-oriented. The nature and procedures of many jobs are undergoing continuous changes; some jobs may even disappear. As civil servants, we must face up to this challenge with greater flexibility and efficiency. The VR Scheme, which will trim the size of the civil service without the need to lay off staff, is an arrangement which will help us achieve the objective of the Civil Service Reform.

I would like to end by appealing to all of you who are registered voters to vote in the Legislative Council elections on 10 September.

Yours sincerely,

(Joseph W P Wong)
Secretary for the Civil Service