Chairman’s Foreword

The Public Service Commission publishes an annual report every year. The 2020 Annual Report is of particular significance as 2020 also marked the 70^th Anniversary of the Public Service Commission – a Platinum milestone.

Established under the Public Service Commission Ordinance in 1950, the Commission has been playing the vital role of an independent advisor on Civil Service appointment, promotion and disciplinary matters. Through generations of past Chairmen and Members, the Commission with its unique role has established a special place in the Civil Service. I pay tribute to all our predecessors for the foundation they have laid and on which the Commission’s role and repute has been built. That we are able to earn the trust and confidence of both the Government and civil servants is due to the long track record and the important work of the Commission. In appreciation, former Membership since its inception is listed in Appendix I. It is a privilege to be recognized and the Commission is gratified that our advice is valued and accepted always. On our part, we remain committed and will continue to discharge our responsibilities independently, objectively and fairly without fear or favour.

2020 was also a difficult year as we witnessed the onslaught of a new coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic throwing people’s daily lives and the world into disarray. The challenges it presented to our Government and community were unprecedented and overwhelming. At the time of writing, our fight to contain and prevent its spread was still continuing. While a great many activities and businesses had to be halted and social distancing observed as a daily routine, the work of the Commission has not stopped with our normal mode of operation keeping up well.

Being the backbone of the Government, the Civil Service has a key role in the upkeep of good governance of Hong Kong. Implicit in every appointment to the Civil Service, it is the intrinsic duty and obligation of every civil servant to support unreservedly the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in the governance of the HKSAR. It is thus appropriate and fitting to require all civil servants, serving or to be recruited, to undertake and swear to uphold the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People’s Republic of China, bear allegiance to the HKSAR and be dedicated to their duties and be responsible to the HKSAR Government under the Basic Law. The Commission is in full support of the manifestation encapsulated in the oath/declaration, the requirement of which was implemented in July 2020.

Despite some isolated disruptions, the work of recruitment and sustaining the Civil Service through promotion had proceeded as planned in 2020. Similar to the caseloads of the previous two years, the Commission has examined and advised on 1 159 submissions. Competition for appointment and promotion has remained keen if not more so. Our scrutiny of every submission has to be critical and thorough before we can lend support to the recommendations of the recruitment and promotion boards. In the process, we need to be satisfied that proper procedures have been followed and the claims of all eligible candidates have been duly and fairly considered. Our ultimate aim is to ensure only the most deserving and suitable ones are selected for promotion and appointment. We have sampled some significant cases in Chapters 2 to 4 to illustrate the standard we hold and expect.

Managing staff performance is the day-to-day responsibility of supervisors at all levels. Only by strictly ensuring that staff perform to the required standard and all acting in concert can the goals set by the organisation be met. Developing and grooming talents for succession must therefore be pursued as an on-going commitment with close oversight by the management from the very top. We have included in Chapter 5 some good examples and some other cases which require catching up work to do.

Consistent with past trends, the number of disciplinary cases needed to be submitted to the Commission for advice remains low. This is within the expectation of the Commission as upholding a high standard of integrity and probity has always been a top priority and core value of the Civil Service. The small number of disciplinary submissions does not mean that the time and attention spent by the Commission on them can be less. There is no place for complacency. We call on management at all levels to remain vigilant and be on guard to tackle promptly and decisively any violations of the rule of conduct and breaches of the law. Chapter 6 gives an account of some noteworthy disciplinary cases the Commission has advised in the past year.

On completion of another year of productive work, I must extend to every Member of the Commission my heartfelt thanks for the wise counsel and unfailing support they have each rendered me. My gratitude also goes to the Secretary for the Civil Service and his colleagues for their support and assistance in all areas of our work. On behalf of the Commission, I would also like to record our appreciation to the Secretary and all staff of the Secretariat for their dedication and diligent work.