In this March 2, 2020 photo, civil servants donning face masks enter the Central Government Complex in Hong Kong. (CALVIN NG / CHINA DAILY)
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong government's target of zero growth in the civil service establishment will remain unchanged in Financial Year 2022-23, with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of public finances, the civil service chief said on Wednesday.
Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said this in the Legislative Council while replying to query on the creation of time-limited supernumerary directorate posts.
The government bureaus and departments are encouraged to cope with their workload through reprioritization, internal redeployment and streamlining of work processes without any increase in the overall civil service establishment, he said.
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“The establishment of individual bureau or department can still increase having regard to operational needs and when it is fully justified.”
We encourage bureaus and departments to enhance effectiveness and efficiency through re-prioritisation, internal redeployment and streamlining of work processes.
Patrick Nip, Secretary for the Civil Service, HKSAR
Taking into account the deletion of posts which no longer have operational needs in other bureaus and departments, there won’t be any increase in the overall civil service establishment, he added.
During the FY2022-23, the government received proposals from various bureaus and departments for creation of six supernumerary directorate posts and retention or recreation of three such posts for an approximate duration between 3 and 5 years with a HK$21.29-million notional annual salary cost at mid-point, according to data submitted to the LegCo.
For the remainder of the FY, creation of three supernumerary directorate posts and retention or recreation of six posts for a period approximately ranging between 3 and 5 years have been planned for submission to the government with a notional annual salary cost of HK$19.48 million.
Replying to a query on approval of such posts, the civil service chief said the Finance Committee approved creation of two and retention or recreation of five supernumerary directorate posts in FY2019-20; seven and four such posts respectively in FY2020-21; and 24 and 17 posts respectively in FY2021-22.
“As at May 31, 2022, the establishment of permanent and supernumerary directorate posts in the civil service is 1,464 and 74 respectively. The notional annual salary cost at mid-point of the above permanent and supernumerary posts is about HK$3.3 billion and HK$160 million respectively,” he said.
The supernumerary posts will lapse upon expiry of the approved term, said Nip.
“In case the bureaus or departments concerned consider it necessary to retain certain supernumerary posts upon expiry, separate proposals have to be submitted to the Legislative Council for consideration.”
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A rigorous vetting system is in place to scrutinize proposals relating to the directorate establishment and each proposal for the creation of a directorate post has been vetted by the relevant policy bureau and the two resource bureaus – the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and the Civil Service Bureau – before seeking necessary approval from LegCo, he added.