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Chris Yeung

Senior government officials have privately voiced fears over secrecy shrouding the new ministerial system, due to be introduced in July.

They are worried there will be a period of confusion and lack of clear direction in policy-making and execution after the changes are brought in.

The Executive Council is expected to discuss details of the new system, which is being finalised by a top-level team headed by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, at its weekly meeting tomorrow.

Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Michael Suen Ming-yeung has promised to give more details of the new system to legislators by the middle of this month.

Some senior officials said they were anxious to know the details, with one saying the whole exercise had been conducted 'in a black box'.

The official said: 'There's a lot of confusion and uncertainty at the moment.'

Apart from Mr Tung, senior officials who have worked on the accountability system include Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, Financial Secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung, Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Mr Suen, Secretary for Civil Service Joseph Wong Wing-ping and Information Co-ordinator Stephen Lam Sui-lung.

Following the addition of a new layer of political ministers, the number of policy secretaries may be reduced, and some legislators are arguing pay cuts should follow.

It is understood the Government has no plan to downgrade the ranking of policy secretaries, but will streamline the structure of bureaus and departments. Departments such as Education, Labour and Social Welfare are likely to merge with relevant policy bureaus.

The official said: 'You won't be able to get the support of Legco if you only ask for creation of more posts without trimming some others.'

A department head said: 'A merger is sensible. But it will be very complicated in the process of implementation. It's taken years for the abolition of some posts and grades in the past.'

He also doubted whether political and administrative responsibilities could be clearly delineated.

The first official said it remained unclear how the ministers would work with policy secretaries, and cast doubt on whether ministers should focus only on policy direction and political work.

Another senior official said he was confident the introduction of political ministers would bring about major changes to the work culture of the civil service at the senior level.

Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun said the extent of ministers' powers to pursue policy agendas was unclear.

A top-ranking official said: 'Mr Tung will have to make the final decision over conflicts of priorities.

'He is the one who has to form a team of accountability officials with shared vision.'



Top officials express fears over 'secretive' ministerial system