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Hong Kong politics
Hong KongPolitics

Hong Kong may punish underperforming senior civil servants with pay freezes

John Lee says authorities are assessing feasibility of new accountability system to ensure policies are implemented effectively

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The reform of the civil service has been on John Lee’s agenda since he took office in 2022 and has been mentioned in every policy address. Photo: Edmond So
Emily Hung

Authorities are considering introducing a new accountability system that will punish underperforming senior civil servants with pay freezes, Hong Kong’s chief executive said, stressing that it aims to strengthen leadership and improve policy implementation.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday that the government was exploring bringing in the system, which would complement the existing accountability framework for principal officials that had been in place for 23 years.
“I hope to enhance the leadership and roles of senior officials in managing recurring or broad issues within their own departments,” he said before his weekly meeting with the key decision-making Executive Council.
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“The ultimate goal is to ensure policies are implemented effectively and benefit the public by establishing a result-oriented team, be it civil servants executing the policies, senior officials in leadership roles, or our governing team.”

Lee revealed in a recent media interview that under the proposed system, senior civil servants would undergo appraisals annually, with those underperforming facing consequences such as pay freezes.

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He also stressed that if senior civil servants exercised effective leadership in daily operations, recurring problems would be prevented and serious issues would not arise.

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