Periscope
Elite corps' power drops
by Keith Yuen
The administrative elite corps in the civil service faces a lack of manpower while its role in managing the government and the power to make policies are being affected with changes in the political environment.
The number of administrative officers, who manage the government's operations, has increased despite an overall cut in the size of the civil service since Hong Kong started its autonomous governance 10 years ago.
The Civil Service Bureau justified the rise in the administrative service workforce in view of increasing demand on public service and workload.
"AOs (Administrative officers) are facing a constant problem of manpower shortage," Winnie Ng Ching-ching, principal assistant secretary for the civil service, said in an interview.
"We cannot stop recruiting merely because of saving the money. There are tasks to do, policies to be formulated, initiatives to be implemented," said Ms Ng, who is responsible for the recruitment, posting, training and promotion of civil servants.
The brigade of government administrators now has 542 members, up 3.63 per cent from 2002.
But the number of administrative officers accounts only for 0.34 per cent of the 160,000-strong civil service.
The administrative officers' high status and attractive salaries draw many university fresh graduates to apply to join the elite group.
More than 12,000 people applied for a small number of openings each year between 2003 and 2006.
However, to some talents who entered the administrative service with an ideal to serve the public, frustrations on the bureaucracy and the political environment have worn them down.
David Wong Chor-fung, 28, quitted the administrative elite in 2005 after working in the government for three years and finding the job not as meaningful and satisfying as it seemed to be.
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