Team work: Chief Executive Donald Tsang is confident the under secretaries will work closely as a team with the bureau secretaries and civil servants in implementing his policy blueprint and agenda.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang has appointed the first batch of eight under secretaries to bolster the strength and capacity of the Government's team of political appointees under the political appointment system.

The under secretaries are appointed under the political appointment system on non-civil service terms for the period ending June 30, 2012.

The eight appointees are:

* Under Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Gregory So;

* Under Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam;

* Under Secretary for Education Kenneth Chen;

* Under Secretary for the Environment Dr Kitty Poon;

* Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Julia Leung;

* Under Secretary for Food & Health Prof Gabriel Leung;

* Under Secretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui; and

* Under Secretary for Transport & Housing Yau Shing-mu.

Key milestone

At the rank of bureau deputy directors, the new under secretaries are drawn from the finance, legal and medical professions, as well as academia and the media. One of them is an administrative officer.

"The appointments mark a key milestone in Hong Kong's development of its political appointment system," Mr Tsang said.

Impressed by the commitment and passion of the new appointees to serve Hong Kong, Mr Tsang is confident they will work closely as a team with the Bureau Secretaries and civil servants in implementing his policy blueprint and agenda.

Team work

"As the political appointment of under secretaries and political assistants is a new arrangement, there is bound to be a period of transition. However, I am confident that they will work closely as a team with the bureau secretaries and our highly professional civil servants in serving Hong Kong."

The process for appointing additional political appointees is still underway. The Government will make further announcements on the remaining posts of under secretaries and political assistants in due course.

For the eight under secretaries' biographies, click here.