ALL local senior officials should be able to serve the territory after 1997, Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fang On-sang said yesterday.
In a ceremony to greet newly promoted senior officials Mrs Chan said: 'I believe that all the existing incumbents and the new appointees are able to fulfil the requirements laid down in the Basic Law.' In its latest reshuffle announced on Tuesday, the Government appointed more locals to the most senior ranks, including Donald Tsang Kam-yuen as Financial Secretary and Rafael Hui Si-yan as Secretary for Financial Services.
Mrs Chan said all policy secretaries would be localised this year.
However, senior Chinese officials were non-committal.
Attending the National People's Congress in Beijing, Xinhua Director Zhou Nan said the Special Administrative Region's key officials had to be nominated by the Chief Executive and appointed by the central Government.
'We cannot approve any appointment for the central Government,' he said.