The poll also found out that more than 70 percent of the respondents also considered that civil servants are generally efficient.

Commissioned by Hong Kong's Civil Service Bureau, the survey interviewed a total of 1,220 people, aged 18 and above over the phone on Oct. 5 to 9, 2002.

The survey results also showed that about 40 percent of respondents considered that the civil servants performed better compared with pre-1997 while about 11 percent considered otherwise.

According to the poll, over 80 percent of respondents supported the Civil Service Reform launched since 1999 and about 54 percent of them considered that the reform has brought improvements for the civil service.

Commenting on the survey findings, Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph W.P. Wong pointed out that the results are "an unequivocal proof of the high regard the public has in our civil service."

"They also demonstrate clearly that in the eye of the public, civil servants have improved in performance since the handover and the Civil Service Reform has contributed towards a better performing civil service," he added.

In a letter to civil servants advising them the survey results Thursday, Wong also urged all colleagues to face positively the challenges of the rising public expectation on the civil service performance and the government's commitment to improve its services progressively.

(Xinhua News Agency October 24, 2002)