Government Secretariat (Hong Kong) Explained

The Government Secretariat (; known as 布政司署 before 1997) is collectively formed by the Offices of the Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary and thirteen policy bureaux.

The offices are officially known as "Government Secretariat: Offices of the Chief Secretary for Administration and the Financial Secretary", and the bureaux are officially known as "[Portfolio] Bureau, Government Secretariat" or "Government Secretariat: [Portfolio] Bureau".

Chart

Dept \ Year'73'74'76'81'82'83'85'88'89'93'94'97'98'00'02'07'15'22
EducationSocial ServicesEducation and ManpowerEducation and ManpowerEducation
LabourEconomic Development and LabourLabour and Welfare
WelfareHealth and WelfareHealth, Welfare and Food
HealthFood and HealthHealth
Food, HygieneEnvironment and FoodEnvironment and Ecology
EnvironmentEnvironmentLands and WorksPlanning, Environment and LandsEnvironment, Transport and WorksEnvironment
LandsPlanning and LandsHousing, Planning and LandsDevelopment
WorksPublic WorksEnvironment, Transport and Works
TransportTransportTransport and HousingTransport and Logistics
HousingHousingHome AffairsHousingHousing, Planning and LandsHousing
TechnologyInformation Technology and BroadcastingCommerce, Industry and TechnologyCommerce and Economic DevelopmentInnovation and TechnologyInnovation, Technology and Industry
IndustryTrade and IndustryCommerce and IndustryCommerce and Economic Development
BusinessCommerce and Economic Development
BroadcastHome AffairsBroadcasting, Culture and SportInformation Technology and Broadcasting
EconomyEconomic ServicesEconomic Development and Labour
TourismHome AffairsCulture, Sports and Tourism
Culture, SportsMunicipal ServicesBroadcasting, Culture and SportHome Affairs
Home affairsHome AffairsDistrict AdministrationHome AffairsHome and Youth Affairs
Local admin.Home AffairsNew Territories AdministrationCity and New Territories AdministrationDistrict Administration
FinanceMonetary AffairsFinancial ServicesFinancial Services and the Treasury
TreasuryDep. Financial Sec.Treasury
ConstitutionDep. Chief Sec.Constitutional AffairsConstitutional and Mainland Affairs
SecuritySecurity
Civil serviceCivil Service

History

The structure of the Government Secretariat has undergone periodic changes.

The McKinsey Report

Governor Sir Murray MacLehose commissioned McKinsey & Company to conduct a study on the structure of the Hong Kong Government. Sir MacLehose subsequently restructured the Government Secretariat pursuant to recommendations in the McKinsey Report in 1973.

Branches of the Government Secretariat under the Colonial Secretary:

Branches of the Government Secretariat under the Financial Secretary:

Reorganisation in the 1980s

New branches of the Government Secretariat were established in the 1980s.

Branches of the Government Secretariat under the Chief Secretary:

Branches of the Government Secretariat under the Financial Secretary:

1989 reorganisation

In the 1 September 1989 reorganisation, the Recreation and Culture Branch (RCB) was created, taking on some duties from the Municipal Services Branch, such as for culture and recreation, sports, antiquities and country parks management, and others from the Administrative Services and Information Branch, including broadcasting, entertainment and censorship policy. Both branches then ceased to exist.[1] The RCB operated as a Broadcasting, Entertainment and Administration wing, which covered RTHK and TELA, and the Recreation and Culture wing, with responsibilities including sport.[2]

Branches of the Government Secretariat under the Chief Secretary:

Branches of the Government Secretariat under the Financial Secretary:

Structure of the Government Secretariat, 1997-2002

Branches of the Government Secretariat under the Chief Secretary for Administration:

Bureaux under the Financial Secretary:

Structure of policy bureaux, 2002-2007

The Government Secretariat was reorganised in Tung Chee-hwa's second term upon the implementation of the Principal Officials Accountability System on 1 July 2002:

Structure of policy bureaux, 2007-2022

A reorganisation of the secretariat was announced by Donald Tsang after his re-election as Chief Executive in 2007. The number of policy bureaux was increased from 11 to 12 as a consequence of this re-organisation; minor adjustments were also made to the responsibilities of the principal officials. Then-Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying established the Innovation and Technology Bureau in 2015.

Bureaux under the Chief Secretary for Administration:

Bureaux under the Financial Secretary:

Present Structure of the Government Secretariat, 2022-

Pursuant to the 2021 Policy address, Carrie Lam announced a government restructuring proposal in January 2022 to be considered and implemented by the Chief Executive-elect returned by the 2022 Chief Executive election. The proposal was adopted by Chief Executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu; requisite funding was approved by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council on 10 June 2022.[3]

Bureaux under the Chief Secretary for Administration:

Bureaux under the Financial Secretary:

Reorganisation Proposals

2012 Proposal

In April 2012, Chief Executive-elect Leung Chun-ying announced his plan to reform the government, "aimed at providing better service to the public while boosting governance".[4] Under the plan, two more deputy secretaries are to be created  - a new deputy chief secretary and deputy financial secretary  - to join the chief secretary, financial secretary, and secretary for justice.[5] Leung announced his desire to create a Culture Bureau; Housing and Transport would be split into two bureaux and Housing would merge with Lands and planning.[5] The newly created Deputy chief secretary position will be responsible for the Labour and Welfare, Education and cultural affairs bureaux. The Chief Secretary is to oversee the environment, Food and health, Home affairs, Security, Civil service, and Constitutional and mainland affairs. The Financial Secretary is to oversee Housing, planning and lands, Works, Transport and Financial Services and the treasury bureaux. The Deputy financial secretary will be in overall charge of the Commerce, industrial and tourism, as well as the Information and technology bureaux.[6] To allow for a smooth transition, the government agreed to table Leung's restructuring plan before LegCo before it dissolved for the summer. However, Pan Democrats believed careful scrutiny was necessary, and strongly opposed the plan to rush through the changes; People Power representatives in Legco warned they would table some 900 motions at the Finance Committee meeting on 15 June and over 100 amendments at the plenary council meeting on 20 June.[5]

Bureaux under the Chief Secretary for Administration:

Bureaux under the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration:

Bureaux under the Financial Secretary:

Bureaux under the Deputy Financial Secretary:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://ebook.lib.hku.hk/bldho/legco/LegcoBL030.pdf Legco Report of Proceedings, 19 July 1989
  2. http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr95-96/english/fc/esc/papers/es140278.htm Finance Committee - Establishment Subcommitee (Papers) 14 Feb 96
  3. News: Legco finance committee passes funding for John Lee's restructure plan . 11 June 2022 . 10 June 2022.
  4. Siu, Phila (24 May 2012). "Time for new filibuster row as Leung 'turns back clock'" . The Standard
  5. Lee, Colleen; So, Peter; Ng, Kang-chung (8 June 2012). "'Business as usual' for CY if the plan fails". South China Morning Post
  6. Mary Ma, (27 April 2012) "Top choice closing in" . The Standard

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