The Executive Council approved a proposal to give civil servants, including staff in the upper, middle and lower salary bands and the directorate, a 3% pay increase this year, with retrospective effect from April 1, the Civil Service Bureau announced today.  

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung explained that six factors were taken into account before ExCo agreed to the Civil Service Bureau proposal.

“The Executive Council has, in accordance with the mechanism governing the adjustment of civil service pay, considered six factors, namely the state of Hong Kong's economy, changes in the cost of living, the net pay trend indicators, the Government's fiscal position, the pay claims of the staff side, as well as civil service morale.”

The 3% pay rise is lower than the net pay trend indicators for the upper, middle and lower salary bands unveiled last month, which are at 4.01%, 4.32% and 5.47% respectively.

Mrs Yeung said: “The pay offer is somewhat behind the net pay trend indicators, but given all the six factors taken into consideration as a whole, we believe that this is an appropriate decision for this year.”

The Government will submit the pay adjustment proposal to the Legislative Council Finance Committee for consideration after the Chief Executive-in-Council considers the response from the staff side and makes a decision on the civil service pay adjustment.