Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor meets the media at the Central Government Offices ahead of an Executive Council meeting on May 17, 2022. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – A proposed reorganization of the government’s executive branch is on the agenda for today’s Executive Council meeting, and the government will submit it to the Legislative Council if the council approves it, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media before the council meeting, Lam said she is confident that ExCo, Hong Kong’s de facto Cabinet, will approve the proposal.
The proposal is based on a blueprint she unveiled in January that suggested expanding the number of government policy bureaus from 13 to 15.
She added that the proposal has also incorporated suggestions from chief executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu.
All the work is on track, and approval procedures are expected to be complete by mid-June, allowing Lee enough time to appoint critical officials and operate the new government structure on July 1, when he takes office, Lam said. She added that she is confident that Lee will find suitable candidates for the posts.
On Monday, Lee had several meetings with Legislative Council members from the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, G19, and the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, to gauge their views on the new-term government and facilitate mutual communication and understanding.
Lee thanked the LegCo House Committee for approving on Friday the establishment of a subcommittee to study the proposed reorganization of the government structure, adding that it will help LegCo’s deliberation and scrutiny of the proposal.