Admin & Civic Affairs
Pay adjustments approved
May 14, 2012
The Executive Council has accepted an independent commission's recommendations on the remuneration package for politically appointed officials serving in the fourth-term Government.Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam told the media today the Independent Commission on Remuneration for Members of the Executive Council & the Legislature, & Officials under the Political Appointment System recommended the cash remuneration of bureau directors be raised by 15.3%.
The Government, after taking into account the adjustments of salaries of civil servants and senior executives since 2002, suggested the cash remuneration of bureau directors be raised by 8.1% on the level approved in 2002.
"This proposed rate of increase represents an annualised average increase of 0.78%, which is a more moderate rate of increase," Mr Tam said
The commission recommended the salary differentiation between bureau directors and the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary and Secretary for Justice be maintained at 3.5% per tier.
The cash remuneration for the proposed posts of Deputy Chief Secretary and Deputy Financial Secretary in the next-term government will be about 1.75% higher than that for bureau directors, while that of Under Secretaries will be set at 70% of bureau directors' salaries.
Mr Tam said secretaries and bureau directors can engage more than one political assistant but the total cash remuneration should be capped at $100,000 per month.
The commission recommended the remunerations for the politically appointed officials be adjusted annually with reference to the Consumer Price Index. The remuneration for members of the Executive Council and Legislative Council will also be adjusted on this mechanism.
Mr Tam said the adjustment will bring an overall saving of $5 million per year and the proposal will be tabled to the Legislative Council next week.
