(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

The Chief Executive-in-Council today agreed on an offer to increase the pay for civil servants in the upper, middle and lower salary bands as well as the directorate at the same rate of 2.5% for 2022-23, effective retrospectively from April 1.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung made the announcement after the first regular meeting of the new-term Executive Council was held today.

She noted that the Government fully understands civil servants' concern about this year's pay adjustment exercise and thus it decided to handle the issue at the first ExCo meeting.

Mrs Yeung said: “Hong Kong's economy has been in a complex situation in the past year. Despite the strong rebound in 2021, the economy was severely hit in the first quarter of 2022 amidst the fifth wave of the epidemic.

“Although the business atmosphere and the employment situation have changed for the better in recent months, there remain uncertainties in the overall economic situation.

“The offer to increase the pay at the same rate of 2.5% across the board is a decision taken after balancing factors including the increase in the cost of living in the past year, the changes in the economic situation, the Government's fiscal position, the positive net pay trend indicators (PTIs) for all three salary bands for 2022 and the exemplary commitment of civil servants from all ranks in fighting the epidemic.”

Mrs Yeung also stressed that the net PTI revealed in the pay trend survey only serves as one of the six factors taken into account regarding the annual civil service pay adjustment, which has never been the sole consideration.

She believes civil service colleagues will understand the rationale behind the pay adjustment mechanism and their morale will not be affected.

The civil service chief will meet the staff side representatives of the four civil service central consultative councils tomorrow to listen to their views on the pay offer.

The Government will then proceed to seek the Chief Executive-in-Council's decision on the magnitude of the final pay adjustment after taking into account the responses from the staff side.

Subsequently, it will submit the proposal to the Legislative Council Finance Committee for consideration as soon as possible.