Civil Service Consultation Document Civil Service Terms of Appointment & Conditions of Service
to encourage home ownership and phase out Non-departmental Quarters (NDQ) and Private Tenancy Allowance (PTA). Officers at Master Pay Scale (MPS) Point 34 or above, who were appointed before 1.10.90, are eligible for a monthly Home Financing Allowance (HFA) which is payable for a maximum of ten years against a mortgage. The allowance is 50% accountable. These officers also retain their entitlement to NDQ and PTA, which is 100% accountable. Once they opt to draw the HFA, they will have to relinquish their entitlement to other housing benefits.
3.18
Local officers at MPS 34 or above, who are appointed after 1 October 1990, are only eligible for the HFA. At more junior levels, local officers may apply for a monthly Home Purchase Allowance (HPA) which is also payable for a maximum of ten years. The HPA is 100% accountable. Whereas the HFA is a condition of service, the HPA is a discretionary benefit the provision of which is subject to financial constraint with an annual quota of 1 800 places. downpayment loan.
3.19
Officers joining the HFA/HPA scheme may also apply for a
Overseas officers who are appointed after 1 October 1990 on agreement are only eligible for an Accommodation Allowance (AA) to rent accommodation in view of the short-term nature of their employment. The AA is 75% accountable and the rates were originally pitched at the same level as the HFA for the respective salary bands.
3.20
There are differences in the housing requirements of officers recruited locally and from overseas, and between officers employed on P&P terms and agreement officers. In drawing up the new conditions of service, the aim is to ensure that the overall package for the different groups of officers is comparable in value but allow flexibility to suit the different circumstances of the individuals.
Proposals
3.21
It is proposed that the payment of housing allowances should be limited to a maximum of ten years for all civil servants, irrespective of their terms of appointment.
3.22
Officers on new P&P terms would only be eligible for HFA or HPA, depending on their ranking, to purchase a permanent home in Hong Kong. Once they had joined the HFA/HPA scheme, the amount of allowance would be fixed for ten years. They would also be eligible for a downpayment loan.
3.23
Officers on new agreement terms at MPS 34 or above would be granted a rent allowance equivalent in amount to the HFA to lease accommodation. If an officer were offered another agreement on completion of one agreement, he/she would continue to draw a rent allowance, equivalent to the prevailing HFA rates, to rent accommodation. The
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