Service first: Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong said the Administration must constantly assess the situation and suitably increase the manpower so as to maintain service quality and efficiency.

The government will create 12 directorate and more than 1,000 non-directorate posts within this financial year, Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong says.

Speaking on RTHK's "Dialogue with Secretaries" this morning, Mr Wong said as the civil service has been frozen for many years and there are more initiatives in this year's policy address, recruitment has to be resumed in the next one to two years.

He said the actual number of civil servants now stands at around 157,800, and estimated the civil service establishment will reach around 160,000 in 2007.

Mr Wong stressed the target of streamlining the civil service has already been achieved, but the Administration must constantly assess the situation and suitably increase the manpower so as to maintain service quality and efficiency.

EO recruitment being considered

Mr Wong said due to natural wastage and increase in workload, the Government is considering recruiting more Executive Officer grade staff again next year, although the grade earlier participated in the voluntary retirement scheme.

On other government jobs, Mr Wong said apart from the disciplinary forces, the new department overlooking food safety will need to recruit health and hygiene professionals, adding they may need to carry out farm inspection work in the Mainland.

Talking about outsourcing, Mr Wong said the administration must ensure neither the quality of public service nor civil servants' jobs are adversely affected. He added the wage levels of sub-contracted staff is also a matter of concern.

He said the administration will continue to recruit supporting staff that required a higher level of skills.

Mr Wong said the civil-service reform aims at maintaining stability, but not at the expense of allowing poor performance.

He pointed out the staff appraisal system has been constantly improved. The assessment period for poorly performing staff was shortened from one year to six months, and those who do not improve are ordered to retire.