Who’s to blame for civil service blunders in HK? The Chief Executive has a plan

Move follows recent scandals that cast spotlight on flaws in HK’s bureaucracy

- Magdalene Fung Hong Kong Correspondent

After some stumbles, Hong Kong’s civil servants have been told they must keep on their toes.

Following public flak for a recent string of scandals involving a dubious bottled water deal, a botched hot air balloon event and the tragic death of a family evicted from their public flat, the city’s top civil servants will have to contend with a new system to hold them responsible for bureaucratic screw-ups.

Chief Executive John Lee announced his plan for the civil service heads of department (HODs) accountability system in his annual policy address on Sept 17. The system - the first new initiative unveiled in his speech that day - is a key measure in Mr Lee’s blueprint to chart Hong Kong’s direction for the year ahead. Its overall aim is to improve governance by instituting a system of consequences for when problems occur, and to maintain public confidence in the authorities.

While department heads have always been responsible for their teams’ work, Mr Lee now wants to establish greater clarity in exactly who will take the rap in what kinds of problems, and how.

“HODs have always been accountable for the performance of their departments, but never in the history of Hong Kong has it been systemised,” Mr Lee told the media after his speech.

He said the accountability policy seeks to “eliminate bottlenecks, plug shortfalls, streamline workflows and enhance departmental efficiency” within the civil service.

It will identify responsibility in the case of lapses and penalise the senior civil servants at fault with warnings, pay cuts, demotions or even dismissals for underperformance or misconduct.

Observers welcomed the proposal as timely and well-intentioned, but raised concerns about its effectiveness and whether it could create a more risk-averse culture in the government.

STRING OF SCANDALS