CE: Heads of Department Accountability System will be set up
發佈日期: 2025-09-17 12:37
TVB News
Chief Executive John Lee says he plans to further enhance governance in his Policy Address by establishing the Heads of Department(HoD) Accountability System.
Lee said: "While HoDs have always been responsible for the work of their departments, the Government has not yet institutionalised overall accountability. Establishing a Heads of Department Accountability System (the HoD Accountability System), therefore, is of critical significance.
Establishing the HoD Accountability System has the following primary aims:
- To render the political accountability required of Secretaries of Department and Directors of Bureau in policy formulation, and the administrative accountability required of civil servants in implementing policy initiatives better articulated with each other, with clarification of their respective roles.
- To drive HoDs to establish an effective management team and operating systems, eliminating bottlenecks and plugging shortfalls, improving workflow on an ongoing basis, and continuously enhancing departmental efficiency.
- To identify the deficiencies whenever a problem occurs in a department, putting in place improvements, attributing responsibility to the appropriate parties, and taking administrative or disciplinary actions against those responsible in accordance with the civil service management regime. The consequences include warnings, reprimands, not being granted a salary increment, relegation in rank, reduction in salary, compulsory retirement and even dismissal.
Investigations will be divided into two tiers, in accordance with the severity of the problems identified:
Tier I: if the problems are of a general nature, the investigation should be taken up by the HoD concerned.
Tier II: if a serious problem occurs in a department or the problem is widespread or a repetitive, systemic one, or there are indications that the HoD concerned is implicated in the problem, the investigation will be carried out by an investigation panel set up specifically under the HoD Accountability System. It should be independent from the Government.
The Government will make subsidiary legislation under the Public Service Commission Ordinance to implement the above proposal.
