Over the last decade, the scale of Hong Kong’s public provider has steadily expanded, resulting in issues over team redundancy. Energetic measures to cut back public servant expenditure are wanted, fairly than simply “freezing” the expansion of the status quo.
The SAR executive has persistently larger its group of workers from 160,000 to 190,000 workers during the last ten years. In 2022/23, civil provider salaries by myself reached $149.1 billion, accounting for greater than 20% of the federal government’s working expenditure. Subsidised organisations added every other $150.5 billion to the payroll burden. The most recent weblog submit from the Monetary Secretary mentions the wish to scrutinise the expenditure construction in positive spaces and evaluate the operation modes of person investment programmes to make sure monetary sustainability. On the other hand, there was no particular indication on lowering executive administrative and wage expenditures. Whether or not this can be a 0 enlargement within the civil provider status quo or a continual 1% aid in recurrent expenditure over 3 consecutive years to reallocate assets, strictly talking, those measures handiest keep watch over the tempo of expenditure enlargement and don’t contain team cuts or wage discounts.
The proliferation of time-limited directorate posts warrants explicit scrutiny. Those posts, with per month salaries starting from $100,000 to $200,000, are ostensibly created to deal with particular time-limited duties. On the other hand, many persist for over ten years. As an example, the Housing Bureau (then Delivery and Housing Bureau) established a brief place in 2021 to supervise transitional housing tasks. With the present management’s focal point on “mild public housing” and “fundamental housing devices” (subdivided apartments that meet a collection of requirements), an extra 3 positions have been created. That is regardless of the Housing Bureau already using 68 directorate officials in 2022, drawing scepticism even from Government Council convenor Regina Ip. In a similar way, the works departments regularly observe for brand new senior positions each time a significant undertaking arises, highlighting a systemic tendency to “upload posts for each and every coverage”.
The federal government should significantly evaluate whether or not the introduction of posts is vital, and do away with or consolidate redundant positions with unmarried tasks. It will have to additionally re-evaluate the directorate status quo and redeploy current manpower to take care of the paintings in keeping with its precedence and significance. Any new coverage necessitating further roles will have to adhere to a strict “one-in, one-out” concept to handle self-discipline in headcount. On the similar time, the Legislative Council should impose stricter scrutiny on proposals for brand new or prolonged positions, making sure they’re justified, environment friendly, and aligned with transparent timelines.
Up to now two years, the federal government has introduced a large number of coverage measures to stimulate financial construction. On the other hand, being proactive does no longer imply frequently developing new positions, particularly below the present fiscal constraints. The government should be prudent to forestall the continual growth of public servant expenditures and make certain that the coverage of “0 enlargement” in public provider isn’t simply an empty promise.
Ming Pao Editorial 2025.01.07: Public servant expenditure should be decreased and supernumerary positions will have to no longer be opened excessively
The federal government’s fiscal deficit is massive. The government have again and again emphasised reducing expenditures and keeping up “0 enlargement” within the selection of civil servants. On the other hand, the widespread introduction of “directorate supernumerary positions” has raised questions. The Finance Committee of the present Legislative Council has authorized 49 directorate-level supernumerary positions, together with 19 positions which were prolonged or reset, costing greater than NT$280 million according to 12 months. Amongst them, 10 positions will probably be “transient” for no less than 10 years, which is equal to the unique transient nature. Getting into the wrong way.
Hong Kong’s civil provider status quo has persisted to make bigger during the last decade, and the issue of redundancy has aroused fear. We will have to actively “slender down” and scale back civil provider bills, fairly than simply “freeze” status quo enlargement.
The SAR executive has persisted to extend its manpower previously 10 years, from 160,000 to 190,000. Wage expenditures in 2022/23 will achieve NT$149.1 billion, identical to greater than 20% of presidency working bills. As well as, wage expenditures of investment businesses may even achieve NT$150.5 billion. The Monetary Secretary’s newest weblog discussed that the expenditure construction in some spaces must be reviewed, and the operation style of person investment schemes must be reviewed to make sure monetary sustainability. On the other hand, there is not any comparability in relation to lowering executive administrative bills and wage bills. particular illustration. Whether or not this can be a 0 enlargement within the selection of civil servants or a 1% aid in recurrent expenditures for 3 consecutive years so as to reallocate assets, strictly talking, it handiest controls the “growth fee” of working bills and does no longer contain layoffs of redundant team or wage discounts.
The introduction of directorate-level supernumerary positions is especially attention-grabbing, with per month salaries as top as NT$100,000 to NT$200,000, however many positions are “transient” for greater than 10 years. As an example, the Housing Bureau (then the Delivery and Housing Bureau) added one supernumerary place in 2021 because of its promotion of transitional housing, and the present executive’s promotion of straightforward public housing and easy housing has created 3 extra supernumerary positions. In 2022, the Housing Bureau already has 68 director-level officers, however new positions are nonetheless being added at the grounds of straightforward housing; even the convener of the Government Council, Ip Lau Suk-yee, puzzled this transfer. In a similar way, the general public works division has a tendency to use for brand new directorate-level positions each time it encounters large-scale new tasks, reflecting the tradition of “vacating positions in keeping with insurance policies.”
The federal government should in moderation read about whether or not the introduction of positions is vital and delete or merge non-staff positions with unmarried obligations. It should additionally evaluate the directorate status quo and mobilize current manpower in keeping with the concern and significance of labor. If the brand new coverage calls for the introduction of positions, the “one-for-one” concept will have to be strictly adopted and useful resource allocation balanced via reducing different positions. The Legislative Council should additionally fortify supervision and strictly evaluate packages for brand new and prolonged positions to induce the government to hurry up the finishing touch of related paintings and keep away from delays and waste.
Up to now two years, the federal government has introduced many coverage measures so as to try for financial construction. On the other hand, being proactive does no longer imply that it should continuously “open up positions.” Particularly now that public budget are tight, the government will have to be extra wary and no longer permit civil provider bills to proceed to make bigger. It makes other people really feel that “0 enlargement in civil provider status quo” is solely empty communicate.
■ Word list new phrases /
proliferation : speedy build up within the quantity or quantity of sth
ostensibly : as seems or is mentioned to be true, despite the fact that no longer essentially so; it appears
scepticism : an angle of doubting that says or statements are true or that sth will occur
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