bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

CIVIL servants seeking promotion will not be required to speak Putonghua, despite the growing need to communicate with mainland officials.

  The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Anson Chan Fang On-sang, said 4,600 civil servants had been taught Putonghua since 1985/1986, and 545 government officials were attending courses.

  Liberal Party member Mr Steven Poon Kwok-lim asked whether the Government would make Putonghua proficiency a promotion requirement as communications between Hongkong and Chinese officials increased.

  Mrs Chan said there were no immediate plans but it was the Government's long-term objective to improve civil servants' proficiency in written Chinese and Putonghua.

  She said there were sufficient tests to ensure the language proficiency of civil servants.

  ''Putonghua proficiency tests are carried out on administrative officers and executive officers on completion of each stage of training,'' she said.

  She said certificates of attendance were issued on completion of each stage of training.

  Priority to learn the language was given to departmental officers - such as those from the Customs and Excise Department and the Immigration Department - who had an operational requirement such as regular contacts with Chinese officials.

   Independent legislator Mr Martin Barrow wanted to know whether the Government would allow the use of Putonghua in Legco sessions to increase the chances for officials and legislators to practise the language.

  Mrs Chan said Standing Orders did not allow the use of the language. She said the Government had encouraged officials to use Putonghua through visits to China for which interpretation services were not provided.



Putonghua handy but not necessary: Chan