HONG KONG: THE FACTS
Civil Service
The main administrative and executive functions of government are carried out by 12 policy bureaux in the Government Secretariat, and 56 departments and agencies, mostly staffed by civil servants. The Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS) is one of the Principal Officials appointed under the Political Appointment System and a Member of the Executive Council. He heads the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) of the Government Secretariat and is responsible to the Chief Executive (CE) for civil service policies as well as the overall management and development of the civil service. His primary role is to ensure that the civil service serves the best interests of the community and delivers various services in a trustworthy, efficient and cost effective manner. The CSB assumes overall policy responsibility for the management of the civil service, including such matters as appointment, pay and conditions of service, staff management, manpower planning, training, and discipline.
Core values: The following are the core values of the civil service as set out in the Civil Service Code, which all civil servants are expected to uphold:
- commitment to the rule of law;
- honesty and integrity;
- objectivity and impartiality;
- political neutrality;
- accountability for decisions and actions; and
- dedication, professionalism and diligence.
The Hong Kong civil service provides a wide range of services, which in many countries are divided among various public authorities, e.g. public works and utilities, cleansing and public health, education, fire services and the police force. Hong Kong civil servants therefore do a wide variety of jobs.
As at December 31, 2014, the civil service employed about 163 400 people (excluding judges, judicial officers, officers of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and locally engaged staff working in overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices) or about four percent of Hong Kong's labour force. About 1 300 of them are directorate officers. Over 99 per cent of the service are local officers and there are about two men to every woman employed. To facilitate the delivery of new policy initiatives and improved services to the public, the civil service establishment has increased by about 1 per cent annually from 2007-08 to 2013-14 and by about 1.5 per cent in 2014-15.
The civil service is a unified service in the sense that all its employees are subject to common appointment procedures and similar disciplinary codes.
Appointments: Appointments to the civil service are based on the principle of open and fair competition. Candidates have to go through a competitive process on the basis of merit and are appointed only if they possess the qualifications and capabilities required for the job. Vacancies can be filled by promotion from within the service. In the case of basic ranks or where promotion is not possible or where there is a special need, vacancies may be filled by open recruitment. For selected grades (e.g. those with existing/anticipated surplus), prior approval from CSB is required before conducting recruitment.
Entry requirements for civil service posts in general are set on the basis of academic or professional qualifications, technical skills, work experience, language proficiency and other qualities and attributes as required. To maintain a civil service that is biliterate (Chinese and English) and trilingual (generally conversant in Cantonese, Putonghua and spoken English), appropriate Chinese and English language proficiency requirements are specified for appointments to individual grades having regard to the job requirements of the grades concerned. In addition, to heighten public awareness of the Basic Law and promote a culture of learning of Basic Law in the community, generally candidates applying for civil service jobs will be assessed on their Basic Law knowledge.
In accordance with the Basic Law, new recruits appointed on or after July 1, 1997 must be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, save for certain specified exceptions.
Promotion: Officers are promoted on the criteria of character, ability, experience and prescribed qualifications. All eligible officers are considered on an equal basis. The officer selected for promotion must be the most meritorious one who is able and ready to perform duties at a higher rank.
Public Service Commission: The commission is an independent statutory body responsible for advising the CE on civil service appointment, promotion and discipline matters. The chairman and members of the commission are appointed by the CE. The commission seeks to ensure the impartiality and fairness in appointments to the civil service and also advises on discipline matters. In accordance with the Public Service Commission Ordinance, advice of the commission has to be sought for appointment or promotion of officers to middle and senior ranking posts (excluding the disciplined ranks of the Hong Kong Police Force). The commission is also consulted on changes in appointment procedures applicable to civil service posts.
Independent Advisory Bodies on Pay and Conditions of Service: Three independent bodies advise the Government on matters relating to pay and conditions of service. Their members are selected from outside the Government. The Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service advises on matters
