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The Executive

Role of the Chief Secretary

CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

The Chief Secretary is the principal adviser to the Governor on matters of policy. He is the chief executive of the Hong Kong Government. Together with the Financial Secretary and the Attorney General, he is one of the three officers of the Executive with the right of direct access to the Governor.

The Chief Secretary has a very small personal staff. He exercises direction primarily as head of the Government Secretariat, the central organisation comprising the secretaries of the policy branches and their staff. Since 1902, when the office of Lieutenant-Governor lapsed, the Chief Secretary (or his predecessor, the Colonial Secretary) has deputised for the Governor during his absence. He is the leading official member of the Legislative Council and the Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Role of the Financial Secretary

The Financial Secretary is responsible for the fiscal and economic policies of the Hong Kong Government, and is an ex-officio member of both the Executive and Legislative Councils. He is, in addition, a member of the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council, and Chairman of the Public Works Sub-Committee of the Finance Committee. As the government officer with primary responsibility for Hong Kong's fiscal and economic policies, the Financial Secretary oversees the operations of the Finance, Monetary Affairs, Trade and Industry, and Economic Services Branches of the government.

The Financial Secretary is responsible under the Public Finance Ordinance for laying before the legislature each year the government's Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure. In his capacity as an official member of the Legislative Council, he makes a speech each year outlining the government's budgetary proposals and moving the adoption of the Appropriation Bill which gives legal effect to the annual expenditure proposals contained in the Budget. He is also personally responsible under a number of ordinances for carrying out various executive duties such as setting levels of certain charges and remunerations, and overseeing the accounts of certain trust funds and statutory bodies.

Role of the Director of Audit

The audit of all the government's accounts is carried out by the Director of Audit. He also audits the accounts of the Urban Council, the Housing Authority and more than 50 statutory and non-statutory funds and other public bodies, as well as reviewing the financial aspect of the operations of the multifarious government-subvented organisations working in Hong Kong. The director's appointment, tenure of office, duties and powers are prescribed in the Audit Ordinance. To ensure his complete autonomy and independence in the exercise of his functions, the Director of Audit is not a civil servant and the ordinance provides that he shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. It also prescribes certain safeguards against his dismissal or premature retire- ment from office.

Structure of the Executive

The Executive of the Hong Kong Government is organised into branches and departments. The branches collectively form the Government Secretariat. There are currently 11 policy branches, two resource branches and a branch with specialised functions of administration. Except for the Councils and Administration Branch, which has a director, all branches are headed by secretaries.

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