Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said today (April 13) at the Legislative Council Special Finance Committee Meetings that under the 2% reduction in the civil service establishment for the 2026-27 fiscal year, the total number of civil service posts had been reduced to approximately 188,000 as of April 1. She reiterated that cutting the establishment is the most direct way to reduce actual expenditure, and that departmental allocations would also be directly reduced.
She acknowledged that some concerns have been raised about whether the staff cuts would affect the development of major projects or the efficiency of daily public services. She stressed that the government, while maintaining the efficiency of public services, has been reviewing the necessity of all posts, integrating tasks and reprioritising work in order to optimise manpower arrangements.
On civil service pay adjustments, she said the Pay Trend Survey is currently underway, and results are expected in May. The Chief Executive-in-Council will take full account of various factors, including Hong Kong's economic conditions, changes in the cost of living, the government's fiscal position, and civil service morale.
Regarding incremental pay point arrangements, she said the authorities are formulating a more rigorous performance appraisal system. She reiterated that whether a civil servant receives an incremental pay point is entirely unrelated to the government's fiscal considerations. According to the Civil Service Regulations, factors considered include conduct and performance. If conduct is unsatisfactory, the officer should not be granted an incremental pay point.
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