1
Constitution and Administration
Structure of Administration
The Chief Executive is the head of the HKSAR Government. The Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary or the Secretary for Justice deputises for the Chief Executive during any temporary absence.
The Chief Secretary for Administration and the Financial Secretary together supervise the work of 13 policy bureaus, each headed by a Director of Bureau, usually referred to as the bureau's 'Secretary' Together, they form the Government Secretariat. There are 56 departments. The Audit Commission reports to the Chief Executive, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority reports to the Financial Secretary while the Department of Justice reports to the Secretary for Justice. The remaining 53 departments are responsible to their relevant bureau secretaries for the efficient implementation of approved policies.
In addition, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), the Office of The Ombudsman and the Public Service Commission report directly to the Chief Executive.
The Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice and the 13 Directors of Bureaus are politically appointed and defined as 'principal officials' in the Basic Law. They are appointed by the CPG on the Chief Executive's nomination for a five-year term, which will not exceed the term of the Chief Executive who nominates them. They are all members of the Executive Council - Hong Kong's equivalent of the Cabinet and are accountable for matters falling within their respective portfolios. The Director of the Chief Executive's Office is also a politically appointed official, with the same terms of employment as those of a Director of Bureau.
-
Two other layers of politically appointed officials, the Under Secretaries and Political Assistants, support the principal officials in carrying out political work.
Chief Secretary for Administration
The Chief Secretary for Administration is the leading principal official in the HKSAR Government and a member of the Executive Council. The Chief Secretary for Administration is the most senior official to assume the Chief Executive's duties temporarily if the Chief Executive is not able to discharge those duties for a short period.
The Chief Secretary for Administration supports the Chief Executive in administering Hong Kong, advises the Chief Executive on policy matters and plays an important role in policy coordination, which is particularly important in areas that cut across policy bureaus. The Chief Secretary for Administration is responsible for overseeing specific priority areas of the Chief Executive's policy agenda, forging a closer and more effective working relationship between the government and the Legislative Council, and drawing up the government's legislative programme. The Chief Secretary for Administration also exercises certain statutory functions, including the handling of appeals and matters of certain public bodies.
Financial Secretary
The Financial Secretary's primary responsibility is to assist the Chief Executive in overseeing policy formulation and implementation of financial, monetary, economic, trade and
11