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Constitution and Administration

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 of the HKSAR Government, a member of the Executive Council, and the most senior official to assume the Chief Executive's duties 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 on complex issues that straddle various policy bureaus. The Chief Secretary for Administration chairs the Policy Committee which serves as the clearing house for policy and legislative proposals before they are put to the Executive Council and the Legislative Council. The Chief Secretary for Administration is responsible for fostering relations between the government and the Legislative Council, and for drawing up the government's legislative programme.

The Chief Secretary for Administration exercises certain statutory functions, including the handling of appeals and matters of certain public bodies, and also chairs various major advisory

committees.

Financial Secretary

The Financial Secretary's primary responsibility is to oversee policy formulation and implementation of financial, monetary, economic, trade and development as well as innovation and technology matters. He is a member of the Executive Council and exercises control over the Exchange Fund with the assistance of the Monetary Authority.

The Financial Secretary is also in charge of the Government Budget. He outlines in the annual Budget speech the government's vision and policies to sustain economic development, presents budgetary proposals and moves the Appropriation Bill, which gives legal effect to the annual expenditure proposals in the Budget.

Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office

The Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office was established in April 2018. Its key functions. include coordinating major cross-bureaus policies selected by the government's senior leadership, promoting evidence-based policy research, fostering the development of a vibrant public policy research community in the city and providing 'first-stop and one-stop' project consultation and coordination services to innovative projects that can bring broad public benefits.

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