Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said today Permanent Secretaries, though excluded from the accountability system, may still be held responsible if departmental management problems are serious enough to warrant investigation.

Mrs Yeung told reporters this morning the Heads of Department Accountability System is aimed at urging the senior management of departments to improve the day-to-day management of the departments, so that systemic problems would not go unnoticed. 

“The department head and his senior staff will be able to have a very good grasp of what is happening daily in the department, what are the problems, pressure points that the departments are facing, so that these problems and pressure points can be dealt with expeditiously. 

“The emphasis is on the day-to-day management of the department. The main responsibility of it rests with the department head and his senior team of management staff.”

She explained that it is very rare for Permanent Secretaries in the bureaus to be involved in the day-to-day management of departments, hence they are excluded from the definition of heads of departments. 

“​​Permanent Secretaries in the bureaus are to assist the directors of bureaus to formulate and design mechanisms, systems or legislations to implement policies. It is very rare that they are involved in the day-to-day management of departments.”

Mrs Yeung emphasised that everyone who is responsible for the problem will be investigated.

“The investigation team will be tasked to point out everyone involved - everyone having to be responsible for the problem, for causing the problem or not dealing with the problem quickly enough, including anybody, Permanent Secretary or even the one who is on the most frontline, the one who has no management responsibility, if he or she has made a mistake or if he or she has a part to play in causing the problem. The investigation team will point out this is their responsibility,” she added.