The Chief Executive-in-Council (CE-in-Council) has decided to increase the pay for civil servants in the upper, middle and lower salary bands and the directorate by 3% for 2024-25, with retrospective effect from April 1, the Civil Service Bureau announced today. 

In arriving at this decision, the CE-in-Council has thoroughly considered the staff side's response to the pay offers and other factors, including the state of Hong Kong's economy, the Government's fiscal position, changes in the cost of living, the net pay trend indicators and civil service morale.

The bureau said in view of the Government's current fiscal deficit, it needs to be prudent in handling the civil service pay adjustment. In the meantime, the vacancy level in the civil service has climbed to 10% under a tight labour market. Civil servants of all ranks have shouldered additional responsibilities.

It said that the economy has recorded actual growth with inflation over the past year and there were also pay rises in private organisations, adding that the CE-in-Council decided to increase the pay at the same rate of 3% across the board after balancing all factors.

The Government will submit the 2024-25 civil service pay adjustment proposal to the Legislative Council Finance Committee for consideration as soon as possible.