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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Subcommittee on Members' Remuneration and Operating Expenses Reimbursement (the Subcommittee) urged the Independent Commission on Remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislature, and Officials under the Political Appointment System of the Hong Kong Special Administrative region (the Independent Commission) to reconsider the proposed adjustment to the annual Office Operation Expenses Reimbursement (OOER) for LegCo Members since it failed to address the high turnover of Members' staff and to retain staff with a reasonable salary package.
Responding to newspaper reports on the Subcommittee meeting held on Tuesday (April 10), the Chairman of the Subcommittee, Ms Emily Lau, emphasised that members of the Subcommittee and the deputations did not have particular views on the recommendation of the Independent Commission on the proposed increase of the monthly remuneration of Members of the Fifth LegCo. Their primary focus was on the adequacy of the OOER so that more resources could be provided to better the performance of their constitutional role and service to the community.
"At the meeting, deputations generally opined that the 20 per cent increase in the OOER from $143,274 to $171,929 per month is not sufficient for LegCo Members to employ and retain a team of good quality staff, some with university background, to assist them to examine public policies and proposed legislation as well as to understand cases received in the district offices and communicate with the Administration directly," said Ms Lau.
According to a series of surveys conducted by the LegCo Secretariat, the turnover rate of full-time staff of Members is as high as 34 per cent.
"The increase will also not be adequate to allow Members to maintain a reasonable number of district offices to cater for the increase in the size of geographical constituencies and to meet the soaring increase in rental expenses for district offices," Ms Lau added.
The Subcommittee suggested that a separate reimbursement accounts be set up for rentals which can be adjusted according to market increases.
The Government has deferred the financial proposal on the proposed remuneration package for Members of the Fifth LegCo originally scheduled for submission to the LegCo Finance Committee tomorrow (April 13).
In her letter to the Government today (April 12), Ms Lau also asked the Independent Commission to reconsider the establishment of a research fund outside the OOER, a separate funding for severance payments for staff leaving the service in the middle of a term, and the amount under the Information Technology and Communication Equipment Expenses Reimbursement.
It is necessary for the Government to set up a reasonable and long-term mechanism for determining LegCo Members' remuneration so as to reflect the important role of the legislature and the constitutional status of LegCo Members under the Basic Law, Ms Lau said.
Ends/Thursday, April 12, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:45
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