A chief operations officer will be recruited for the Equal Opportunities Commission to delineate some of its chairperson's responsibilities.

This new position will oversee administrative and operational matters and strengthen the governance of the commission. It will also enable the equal rights body to have the full-time involvement of the chairperson at the current senior rank to deal with the major tasks ahead.

The Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau said today additional resources will be provided to the commission in the recruitment of the new post, and suggested to retain the full-time executive chairperson position.

The bureau was responding to the Legislative Council Public Accounts Committee's report on the commission, which was tabled today. The committee has expressed grave dismay over the commission's inadequacies in respect of its governance and administration. The commission chairperson publicly apologised for this earlier today. He also said he would take up responsibility to continue leading the commission in conducting important tasks like follow-up action on LegCo recommendations.

Following the publication of the Director of Audit's report on the commission and the committee hearings held in May, the bureau has been working with the commission on improvement measures and follow-up action.

As the term of the commission's current chairperson will expire in January the open recruitment for the successor will start soon. The bureau has also proposed an audit and management consultant be recruited to help the commission implement the recommendations of the Director of Audit and the LegCo committee, to conduct compliance and management audits, and to regularise measures taken to strengthen its governance.

Regarding the Memorandum for Administrative Arrangement between the bureau and the commission, the bureau has proposed further amendments to reflect the changing circumstances. Both sides have also been working together to develop new performance targets and indicators, with a view to showing them in the controlling officers' report next year.

On the issue of life insurance of the chairperson, the commission board will propose to the administration appropriate follow-up actions. After the proposal has been received the Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs will report to the Chief Executive and deal with the matter as soon as possible. The bureau will report the progress to LegCo in October.