Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung today wrote to civil servants and met representatives from the four civil service central consultative councils and another four major service-wide staff unions to brief them on policy initiatives relating to civil service matters in the Policy Address.

Titled Enhancing Civil Service Management for a Brighter Tomorrow, Mrs Yeung's letter to civil service colleagues outlined the policy initiatives of enhancing civil service management and training.

She said: "As the backbone of the Government, civil servants must have a clear understanding of the Government's policy objectives and directions. To this end, I communicated with civil servants right after the delivery of the Policy Address.

"I hope that, through interactions, they can learn about the policy directions and related measures, with a view to further improving governance, actively supporting the Chief Executive in the administration of Hong Kong, building a bright future and starting a new chapter for Hong Kong together."

Initiatives relating to the governance and management of the civil service in the Policy Address include updating the Civil Service Code to clearly state the core values and standards of conduct that present-day civil servants should uphold.

In addition, the Government will strengthen the reward and punishment systems, while enhancing the mobilisation protocol and training for civil servants.

Mrs Yeung encourages civil servants to familiarise themselves with the initiatives set out in the Policy Address, approach their work with commitment and courage in the face of challenges and achieve the aim of responding to citizens' aspirations.