Chairman’s Foreword

It is my privilege to present the second Annual Report since I have assumed the role of Chairman of the Public Service Commission in May 2023. This report highlights the Commission’s unwavering commitment to upholding impartiality and integrity of the appointment, promotion and disciplinary systems in the Civil Service.

The year 2024 was both busy and productive for the Commission. In terms of workload, the Commission provided advice on a total of 1 188 submissions, with cases on recruitment and promotion forming the bulk of our work as in the past. While the number of candidates considered is far greater than the past few years, we are pleased that Bureaux/Departments (B/Ds) have generally conducted recruitment and promotion exercises in an effective manner, aligning with the established rules and procedures.

I am particularly encouraged to see that many B/Ds have taken heed of the Commission’s advice and made promising progress in rectifying the inadequacies identified by us. Their receptiveness and commitment to improvement strengthen a merit-driven Civil Service as well as demonstrate their resolve to uphold high standards. These positive outcomes reaffirm the Commission’s indispensable mandate in safeguarding the principles of fairness and integrity.

Nevertheless, certain practices that for want of improvement were still observed in some submissions. This Report includes case studies highlighting these instances, along with key observations and recommendations for further improvement. By sharing these insights, we aim to provide practical reference for personnel involved in human resource management in the Civil Service and shed light on the importance for the senior management to drive continuous improvement.

In the realm of disciplinary cases, the Commission is encouraged by the consistently low number of civil servants subject to formal disciplinary punishments, reflecting the generally high standard of conduct and probity maintained in the Civil Service. Appreciating that there is no room for complacency, we fully support the Government’s proposals to review the Public Service (Administration) Order and Public Service (Disciplinary) Regulation, as announced in the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address. We look forward to contributing to this essential initiative with a view to enhancing the civil service disciplinary mechanism.

In tandem with our advisory role on individual submissions, the Commission works closely with the Administration for the betterment of the Civil Service. The promulgation of the updated Civil Service Code in 2024 marks a significant step forward in reinforcing the core values and standards expected of civil servants. We are also pleased to note that the implementation of the streamlined mechanism for retiring civil servants in the public interest on grounds of persistent sub-standard performance has significantly accelerated the case processing time, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of the mechanism.

The Commission also continues to advocate for a forward-looking approach to human resource management. In scruitnising the submissions in 2024, we continued to provide advice on human resource practices, encouraging B/Ds to adopt a strategic and far-sighted way in formulating their staff development, training, and succession plans to build a resilient, high-performing, and sustainable workforce dedicated to public service.

As the development of Hong Kong becomes increasingly complex and dynamic, the Civil Service has to be well-prepared to rise to challenges ahead so as to meet growing public expectations. Since the Government is committed to trimming the civil service establishment by 2% each in 2026-27 and 2027-28 as announced in the 2025 Budget, building a leaner yet highly capable Civil Service is more critical than ever. It is an opportune moment for B/Ds to think out of the box to achieve streamlining and resources optimisation. The Commission is looking forward to holding hands with B/Ds to meet such challenges.

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my fellow Commission Members for their unfailing support and invaluable counsel. In particular, I wish to pay special tribute to Mrs Margaret Leung and Mr Tim Lui, who retired from the Commission after having served as Members for six years. At the same time, I warmly welcome Mr Ivan Chu and Mr Stephen Yiu, who joined the Commission in July 2024.

My gratitude is extended to the Secretary for the Civil Service and her colleagues for their strong support and assistance in taking forward the Commission’s recommendations and advice. Last but not least, my appreciation also goes to the Secretary of the Commission and all staff of the Commission Secretariat for their dedication and hard work over the past year.