ENG-1994 — Page 57

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CONSTITUTION AND ADMINISTRATION

Role of the Efficiency Unit

The Efficiency Unit was established in May 1992. The unit reports to the Chief Secretary. Its objective is to pursue the government's commitment to improve services to the community and to enhance openness and accountability by formulating, securing support for, and overseeing, the implementation of a programme of public sector reform.

The Structure of the Administration

The administration of the Hong Kong Government is organised into branches and departments. The branches, each headed by a policy secretary, collectively form the Government Secretariat. There are currently 13 policy branches, and two resource branches concerned with finance and the Public Service.

The policy branches whose secretaries report directly to the Chief Secretary are the Constitutional Affairs; Education and Manpower; Health and Welfare; Home Affairs; Housing; Planning, Environment and Lands; Recreation and Culture; Security; and Transport Branches.

The Civil Service Branch, a resource branch, also comes under the aegis of the Chief Secretary.

The policy branches whose secretaries report directly to the Financial Secretary are: Economic Services, Financial Services, Trade and Industry, and Works.

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The Finance Branch, a resource branch, is also responsible to the Financial Secretary. There are 76 departments and agencies whose heads are, with certain exceptions, responsible to the branch secretaries for the direction of their departments and the efficient implementation of approved government policy. The exceptions are the Audit Department, whose independence is safeguarded by the Director reporting directly to the President of the Legislative Council; the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Office of the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints, whose respective independence is safe- guarded by the Commissioners reporting directly to the Governor; the Judiciary, which is the responsibility of the Chief Justice; and the Legal Department, which is the responsibility of the Attorney General.

To assist in the co-ordination of government policy, there are, under the umbrella of the Chief Secretary's Committee, seven policy groups which bring together branch secretaries in related programme areas. The six which are chaired by the Chief Secretary are: Community Affairs; Constitutional Affairs; Lands, Works, Transport, Housing and Environmental Protection; Public Services; Social Services; and Legal and Security. The Legal Affairs Policy Group is chaired by the Attorney General.

Office of the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints

The Commissioner for Administrative Complaints (COMAC) is an independent authority, established in 1989 under the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints Ordinance. The purpose of the office is to provide citizens with a means through which an independent person outside the Public Service can investigate, and report on, grievances arising from administrative decisions, acts, recommendations or omissions. COMAC has jurisdiction over practically all government departments, except the Royal Hong Kong Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which have their own independent bodies to deal with complaints from the public.