Chui: Spending cuts not to affect citizens’ welfare

Before departing to attend the celebrations signaling the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II in Beijing, the Chief Executive reiterated that measures protecting citizens’ welfare will remain intact under the austerity measures announced earlier this week.
Chui Sai On indicated that the budgetary restraints will affect internal spending within public departments.
“Such measures will not affect investment in infrastructure, projects regarding locals’ livelihoods, or social welfare. Everyone please rest assured,” he said.
The CE continued by saying that officials were confronting the issue of public departments’ internal austerity, with provisions that will remain in place even if gaming earnings return to above the “red light” level this month.
To Chui, there were more factors to take into account when deciding on the wage increase. The CE said that workers’ purchasing power, inflation, financial conditions, the economic climate and the private sector’s adjustment rate could be of reference to the policymakers, as well as saying that the authorities were awaiting a report from the consultative commission.
The drawn-out economic slowdown in the territory has caused much trepidation about the fate of the Wealth Partaking Scheme next year. The CE told journalists at the airport that he was unable to make a commitment regarding the policy’s future at present.
“I am still optimistic that there’ll be sufficient surplus for cash-handouts,” he said, but conceded that such a remark merely reflected “his personal view.”
On the sidelines of a function yesterday morning, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, also mentioned the upcoming budget cuts. She said that public departments under her control would have to tighten their belts and adhere to the austerity measures.
The secretary pointed out that all of the officials in her office have always been “financially cautious” and would cut down on “unnecessary expenditure” such as outbound trips and souvenirs.
“In our field, we definitely conduct implementation according to the government’s policy,” Chan remarked. Nonetheless, when asked if the slash signals a reduction in the grant allocation budgets within agencies under her supervision, Chan said that the authorities’ spending depends on how much money flows into the government’s coffers.
When asked whether the administration’s move could result in a change to the salary adjustment for civil servants next year, Chan said that the authorities were currently considering two blueprints handed over by the Civil Servants’ Salary Assessment Commission earlier, but that they were moving forward on the assumption of financial standing within the government. The evaluators will publish the outcome of their deliberations in the future. Staff reporter

kou peng kuan urges budget restraint

The Public Administration and Civil Service Bureau director, Kou Peng Kuan, was sworn in as the bureau’s head yesterday morning. The newly appointed director commented that public departments need to offer “reasonable rationales” for their requests to expand their workforces. However, such demands’ final approvals are always subject to the government’s budget. He revealed that almost every public division has sought to expand their personnel.