Voluntary Retirement Scheme



Date Context Summary of development Action
8.3.99 PRESS The Administration released a Consultation Document on the Civil Service Reform. The document set out the overall framework of reform in the key policy areas. The concept of voluntary retirement (VR) for minimizing impact of redundancy on surplus staff was introduced in the Document. [Press release] [Consultation Document "paragraph 2.11"]
3/00 FC A member raised question on VR Scheme in examining the draft Estimates of Expenditure 2000-01. [Question "Bureau Serial No.: CSB019]
15.5.00 PS The Panel discussed with the Administration the paper on VR Scheme. [LegCo Brief]

At members' request, the Administration provided supplementary information on VR Scheme after the meeting. [Follow-up paper]
9.6.00 FC FC -
  		• approved creation of a new non-recurrent commitment of $1,100 million for making compensatory payments to officers retiring under VR Scheme;
  		• approved creation of a new non-recurrent commitment of $2.4 million for making ex-gratia payments to Model Scale I officers on the Old Pension Scheme holding non-established offices in the specified grades who met selection criteria for VR Scheme and were approved to retire early; and
  		• noted the additional pension expenditure in 2000-01 as a result of the implementation of VR Scheme. [Paper]

    30.10.00 PS The Panel discussed with the Administration on the implementation of the initiative to contain the size of the civil service and VR Scheme. [Paper]
    20.11.00 PS The Panel discussed with the Administration the paper on the latest position regarding the approval of VR applications and the financial implications. The paper also provided the Administration's response to the questions raised by members at the meeting on 30.10.00. [Paper]

    At members' request, the Administration provided supplementary information on the implementation details of VR Scheme after the meeting. [Follow-up paper]
    1.12.00 FC FC -
  		• approved an increase in the approved commitment of Subhead 700 General other non-recurrent Item 002, from $1,100 million by $1,680 million to $2,780 million, for making compensatory payments to officers retiring under VR Scheme; and
  		• approved an increase in the approved commitment of Subhead 700 General other non-recurrent Item 003, from $2.4 million by $7.6 million to $10 million, for making ex-gratia payments to Model Scale I officers on the Old Pension Scheme holding non-established offices in the specified grades who met selection criteria for VR Scheme and were approved to retire early; and
  		• noted an additional pension expenditure in 2000-01 as a result of the implementation of VR Scheme. [Paper]

    9.2.01 FC FC approved the creation of a new commitment of $50 million for launching a three-year Training and Development Programme from 2001-02 to 2003-04 to enhance training in the civil service. The programme would focus on three areas, namely training for the affected staff in VR grades, training in relation to the Civil Service Reform initiatives, and promotion of continuous learning culture. [Paper]
    3/01 FC A member raised question on VR Scheme in examining the draft Estimates of Expenditure 2001-02. [Question "Bureau Serial No.: CSB017]
    19.11.01 PS The Panel discussed with the Administration on VR Scheme at the policy briefing by the Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS) on the policy initiatives of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) featuring in 2002 Policy Address. CSB undertook to review the implementation of VR Scheme and to complete the review by mid 2002. [CSB's Policy Objectives "page 9"] [Paper] [Minutes "page 5"]
    3/02 FC Some members raised questions on VR Scheme in examining the draft Estimates of Expenditure 2002-03. [Question "Reply Serial Nos.: CSB028, 031, 032, 033, 039]
    17.6.02 PS The Panel discussed with the Administration the paper on the outcome of the review on VR Scheme. [Paper]
    15.1.03 PS The Panel discussed with the Administration the paper on the Second VR Scheme at the policy briefing by SCS on the policy initiatives of CSB featuring in 2003 Policy Address. [Paper] [Minutes "page 7"]
    20.1.03 PS The Panel discussed with the Administration the paper on the Second VR Scheme. [LegCo Brief]

    At members' request, the Administration provided supplementary information on the statistics of VR takers and savings achieved through the VR Scheme and a list of grades to be included in the Second VR Scheme [Follow-up paper 1] [Follow-up paper 2] [Background brief prepared by the Secretariat]
    21.2.03 FC FC -
  		• approved creation of a new non-recurrent commitment of $2,100 million for making compensatory payments to officers retiring under the Second VR Scheme;
  		• approved creation of a new non-recurrent commitment of $5 million for making ex-gratia payments to Model Scale I officers on the Old Pension Scheme holding non-established offices in the specified grades who met selection criteria for the Second VR Scheme and were approved to retire early;
  		• noted the additional pension expenditure in 2003-04 as a result of the implementation of the Second VR Scheme;
  		• noted the time extension of the three-year Training and Development Programme to Enhanced Training in the Civil Service under Head 29 Subhead 700 to provide training for staff affected by VR schemes. [Paper]

    3/03 FC Some members raised questions on the Second VR Scheme in examining the draft Estimates of Expenditure 2003-04. [Question "Reply Serial Nos.: CSB004, 006, 007, 028, 057, 069"]
    15.5.03 COU Hon Kenneth TING raised a question on the Second VR Scheme at the Chief Executive's Question and Answer Session. [Hansard "page 13"]
    20.4.06PS The Panel discussed the paper on the resumption of open recruitment for selected grades included in the Second VR Scheme.[Paper]

    At members' request, the Administration provided supplementary information on the resumption of open recruitment for selected grades included in the Second VR Scheme. [Follow-up paper]

    The Administration undertook to provide the Panel with regular updates on approval granted for exemption from the recruitment freeze imposed on VR II grades, with relevant information including the number of posts approved for open recruitment and the grades involved. [Information paper]
    18.12.06 PS The Administration provided members with an update on the implementation of a modified arrangement to the 5-year recruitment freeze imposed on grades included in the Second VR Scheme. [Paper]
    17.12.07 PS The Administration briefed members on the arrangements in relation to resumption of open recruitment for grades included in the Second VR Scheme. [Paper]

    Development to date presented in background brief prepared by the Secretariat. [Background brief]


  		• Civil Service Bureau - Voluntary Retirement Scheme:
    http://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcsb/showdisplay.jsp?lang_iso=en_uk&page_no=414

    Related topic in the Database:
  		• Containing the size of the civil service


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