HONG KONG, June 18 -- Hong Kong Chief Executive
Donald Tsang said Tuesday the Executive Council will propose a pay cut of 5.38
percent for civil servants in the upper salary band, and a pay freeze for those
in the lower and middle bands.
The 33 politically appointed officials and the chief himself will
also take a voluntary pay cut of 5.38 percent from July 1 in a bid to "ride out
the current difficult times," Tsang said.
The proposal will be sent to the staff side and the
Executive Council will make a final decision once it has received the staff
side's response.
Executive Council Convenor Leung Chun-ying also
announced that the council members will also take a voluntary 5.38 percent pay
cut.
Speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, Tsang noted
that the political appointees' remuneration, which had been approved by the
Legislative Council's Finance Committee, is fixed, without any annual adjustment
mechanism.
"Despite the fact we do not have any adjustment
mechanism and the pay is essentially a fixed pay, we are prepared to follow the
pay trend which is for the senior employees in the private sector."
"We do this to show that the team of political
appointees is fully prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of
Hong Kong to ride out the current difficult times."
Noting Hong Kong's economy has been badly hit by the
financial crisis, Tsang said everyone has been affected in one way or another,
and great challenges still lie ahead.
"In the circumstances, the team of political
appointees hopes to make clear its commitment to stand together with the public
and volunteers a pay cut. I am confident that together we can overcome the
current economic difficulties," he added.
A spokesman for the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) said
Tuesday that the salary adjustments for civil servants were proposed after the
chief executive and the Executive Council mulled over several factors including
"the mildly inflationary environment, the morale of the civil service, as well
as the pay claims from the staff sides." (XHTV)
