Top Hong Kong civil servants worried by accountability policy ‘had better go’: Lee
City leader John Lee announces new ‘Heads of Department Accountability System’, with maximum penalty under proposal to be dismissal
Hong Kong’s senior civil servants will be subject to a new mechanism to hold them accountable for underperformance, with dismissal as the maximum penalty.
Announcing the new “Heads of Department Accountability System” in his annual policy address, the chief executive later dismissed concerns that the move might deter senior servants.
“If they think like that, they had better go,” city leader John Lee Ka-chiu said.
The new accountability system, aimed at building a more effective governing team, would penalise underperforming senior civil servants and address internal deficiencies.
“It seeks to eliminate bottlenecks, plug shortfalls, streamline workflows, and continuously enhance departmental efficiency,” Lee said.
The mechanism would identify responsibility when problems arose and would propose corresponding administrative or disciplinary actions.