Supplementary Information Note for the LegCo Panel on Public Service Meeting on 18 January 1999
Declaration of Investments by Civil Servants

Purpose

To update Members of the latest position on the implementation of the revised declaration system.

Background

2. At the meeting of the LegCo Panel on Public Service on 21 September 1998, Members were briefed on the outcome of the review of the declaration systems undertaken by the Civil Service Bureau (CSB). At Members' request, an information note LC Paper No. CB(2)613/98-99(06) was submitted for the meeting of the Panel on 16 November 1998 further explaining the declaration system and informing Members on the implementation of the revised declaration system. Consideration of the note was deferred.

Implementation
Designation of posts

3. 25 key posts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government have been centrally designated as Tier I posts. The CSB has received declarations from officers holding Tier I posts, and made available a register of the financial interests of Tier I posts for public inspection since November 1998.

4. Upon issue of the CSB Circular No. 8/98, all Bureau Secretaries/Heads of Department were requested to critically examine all posts in their bureaux/departments and designate those posts with a high risk of exposure to potential conflict of interest situations as Tier II posts.

5. All the bureaux/departments have now completed designation of their Tier II posts. A total of 2,874 posts have been designated. They consist of 1,388 directorate posts and 1,486 non-directorate posts. Additional investment guidelines

6. Bureaux and departments were also advised to consider, in the light of their operational needs, to prescribe additional investment guidelines or restrictions for their staff, including requiring their staff to avoid or declare certain specified investment activities because of apparent conflict of interest. So far, 20 Bureaux/Departments have prepared/issued additional investment guidelines for compliance by their staff, and some others have advised that they are considering/developing additional guidelines.

7. The additional investment guidelines prepared/issued cover approximately 43,000 posts at various levels in bureaux/departments.

Concluding Remarks

8. The CSB will continue to monitor the implementation of the revised declaration requirements.

Division 4
Civil Service Bureau
January 1999