$11m cost to top up Tung's think-tank
Extra staff are being sought to strengthen the think-tank for Tung Chee-hwa and his top aides.
The three directorate posts and six supporting staff proposed for the Central Policy Unit will cost an average of $11.3 million more each year, according to a paper submitted to provisional legislators.
The unit says an increasing workload has weighed down the existing 25-strong team.
The work includes extra research and support for the newly-created Commission on Strategic Development, chaired by Mr Tung with the aim of maintaining Hong Kong's competitiveness.
Liaison with overseas think-tanks and academics will also be stepped up to facilitate exchange of ideas, the paper says.
The position of the head of the unit, currently filled by Gordon Siu Kwing-chue, is being converted to a supernumerary post for three years after the contract of his predecessor, Leo Goodstadt, ceased in the middle of last year.
The Civil Service Bureau says the proposed posts are appropriate and commensurate with their administrative and professional responsibilities.
