ENG-2005 — Page 46

20 Constitution and Administration

The Public Service Commission is an independent statutory body set up under the Public Service Commission Ordinance. Its fundamental role is to advise the Chief Executive on appointments, promotions and discipline in the civil service. The Government is also advised on civil service pay and conditions of service by three independent bodies: the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service (directorate officers excluding judicial officers and the disciplined services but including the heads of the disciplined services); the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Conditions of Service (the disciplined services except the heads of disciplined services); and the Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service (all other civil servants).

In accordance with the Basic Law, Principal Officials must be Chinese citizens who are permanent residents of the HKSAR with no right of abode in any foreign country and have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 15 years. It is also a Basic Law requirement that new recruits to the civil service on or after July 1, 1997 should normally be permanent residents of the HKSAR, save for those who fall within the exceptions provided in Articles 99 and 101 of the Basic Law.

Subject to the above policy, appointment to the civil service is based on open and fair competition which aims to recruit the best person for the job. Promotion is performance-based and not a reward for long service. As the largest employer in Hong Kong, the Government takes the lead in employing people with a disability to help them integrate into the community and ensure that they are given equal opportunity in recruitment to the Civil Service.

The Government monitors closely the turnover in the civil service for manpower planning purposes. Overall wastage in the civil service remained steady at 4 per cent. over the past two years, (2003-04 and 2004-05) following the departure of participants in voluntary retirement schemes. Given the importance of continuity at the management level, the Government has a well-established staff planning mechanism to review the succession planning for senior staff, identify and groom officers with potential for advancement to senior management and develop a pool of talent for senior positions.

The Government values regular communication and consultation with staff. There are four consultative councils at the central level: the Senior Civil Service Council, the Model Scale 1 Staff Consultative Council, the Disciplined Services Consultative Council and the Police Force Council. More than 80 consultative committees operate at the departmental level. The Civil Service Newsletter is published regularly to provide an added link with serving and retired civil servants.

Civil Service Reform

To ensure that Hong Kong continues to maintain a world-class civil service which keeps pace with changes in society, the Government has introduced a number of reforms since it released its public consultation document in 1999. The reforms cover the following five main areas: