HKSAR ExCo endorses reorganisation of govt structure

HONG KONG -- The Executive Council (ExCo) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Tuesday considered and endorsed a package of proposals to re-organize the structure of the HKSAR government, upon the request of the sixth-term chief executive designate.

Expected to take effect from July 1, the package comprises various proposals initiated by current-term Chief Executive of the HKSAR Carrie Lam in her 2021 policy address, and additional proposals sought by the sixth-term chief executive designate.

Under the re-organization proposal, the number of policy bureaus of the HKSAR government will increase from 13 to 15, while three new positions including a Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, a Deputy Financial Secretary and a Deputy Secretary for Justice will be created.

The re-organization included the setting up of a Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the splitting of the Transport and Housing Bureau into two policy bureaux, and expanding the Innovation and Technology Bureau into the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau.

The Home Affairs Bureau will also be restructured into the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, while the Environment Bureau will be expanded and retitled as the Environment and Ecology Bureau, and the Food and Health Bureau will be revamped as the Health Bureau, according to the proposal.

"As the incumbent chief executive has said in her meeting with the chief executive designate on May 9, the current-term government will render full assistance to the office of the chief executive designate with a view to securing all necessary approvals as soon as possible," a spokesperson for the HKSAR government said, adding that the re-organization proposals would be submitted to the Legislative Council later on Tuesday.

The sixth-term chief executive designate John Lee on Tuesday expressed his gratitude to the incumbent chief executive and ExCo for their cooperation in promoting the restructuring of the HKSAR government.

He said that the re-organization of the bureaus will bring focus to the government's work and achieve synergy, while the addition of three deputy secretaries will strengthen governance and share the heavy workload of the three secretaries.