Restoring confidence 'more important than empty gestures'

Restoring confidence in the economy was more important than making 'symbolic gestures' such as pay cuts for civil servants, a senior official said yesterday.

Secretary for Health and Welfare Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong said the issue of suggested pay cuts for civil servants should be discussed.

But he added: 'The most important thing is that we solve the problem of confidence. It is better than taking symbolic moves. Personally, the amount of pay is not my prime concern . . . the most important thing is to get my job done.'

Dr Yeoh said his salary had fallen from about $5 million a year to $2 million since he moved from the Hospital Authority.

Leading banker and legislator David Li Kwok-po has called on senior officials to follow the example of their Singaporean counterparts and slash their salaries by 10 per cent. He also wants middle-ranking staff to take a five per cent cut. Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun has proposed an across-the-board 10 per cent cut.

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has rejected calls for a cut this year, adding the Government would stick to the pay adjustment mechanism in determining next year's pay levels.