Hong Kong Public Servants have been assured they will not be asked to take over specific tasks while on exchange with mainland China Agencies.
Secretary for the Civil Service, Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said the program would be limited to exchanging ideas with mainland officials.
Addressing the Legislative Council, Mr Nip (pictured) said the term used for the exchange “serving temporary posts” had a different meaning in Hong Kong than the mainland and therefore the program had all along been named the Civil Service Staff Exchange Program.
“It means participants will not exercise substantive power in the host Agencies,” Mr Nip said.
He said each exchange would last for about four weeks, with themes determined according to the participants’ work.
“In the past, this has included infrastructure development, environmental protection, trade and more,” the Secretary said.
“Under the coordination of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, we are proactively organising this year’s exchange program and hammering out details with mainland authorities,” Mr Nip said.
“I hope we can start the exchange program as soon as possible.”
He said the program had previously received positive feedback from participating officers and Departments.
“Officers from both Hong Kong and the mainland have found the program inspiring and useful to their concrete understanding of the management strategy, regulations and codes, and working culture of the Government authorities of the other side,” Mr Nip said.
He also told lawmakers that 8,500 Public Servants had quit the Government last year, around 4.8 per cent of the city’s 180,000 bureaucrats.
“Retirement was the primary reason for the departure, while the other reasons included resignation, completion of agreement and death, which accounted for only a small proportion,” Mr Nip said.
Hong Kong, 30 April 2022
