The Government today announced the appointments of the new Permanent Secretary for Environment & Ecology (Environment) and the Director of Leisure & Cultural Services.

Director of Broadcasting Eddie Cheung will take up the post of Permanent Secretary for Environment & Ecology (Environment) on January 2, 2025, succeeding Janice Tse who will proceed on pre-retirement leave on the same day.

Deputy Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury (Financial Services) Manda Chan will take up the post of Director of Leisure & Cultural Services on December 4, 2024, succeeding Vincent Liu who has proceeded on pre-retirement leave.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung said the appointees are seasoned Administrative Officers with proven leadership and management skills, adding that she is confident they will continue to serve the community with professionalism in their new posts.

Mrs Yeung also thanked Miss Tse and Mr Liu for each rendering over 30 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community and making significant contributions to the Government, and wished them a fulfilling and happy retirement.

“During Miss Tse's tenure as Permanent Secretary for Environment & Ecology (Environment), she capably led the Environmental Protection Department and the team to formulate and implement a range of environmental policies, delivering results particularly on the improvement of air and water quality, waste reduction and management, nature conservation, tackling climate change and promoting energy efficiency/conservation.”

She also highlighted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Miss Tse personally steered the roll-out of a unique citywide sewage surveillance programme for detecting virus loads in the population, which provided important data for informing the formulation of anti-epidemic measures, thereby contributing to the city's ultimate success in combating the epidemic.

Mrs Yeung also lauded Mr Liu for playing an instrumental role in ensuring the strategic planning, steady provision and sound management of sports and cultural venues during his tenure as Director of Leisure & Cultural Services.

“He also strived to provide quality leisure and cultural programmes to the public, making sterling contributions to reinforcing Hong Kong's status as an events capital and East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchanges.”