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The Government today (January 16) announced that with effect from February 1, 2015, the remuneration of the Chief Executive and politically appointed officials (PAOs) would be restored to the level as approved in 2002 by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.
"In 2009, having regard to the socioeconomic condition at that time, the then Chief Executive and PAOs took a voluntary pay cut by 5.38 per cent, on par with the pay cut for civil servants in the upper salary band at that time, in order to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Hong Kong to ride out the then difficult times. The pay cut has since continued to date," a Government spokesman said.
"The economy has since turned around. The economic conditions nowadays are obviously much improved as compared with those in 2009. The continuation of the voluntary pay cut is thus no longer reasonable," the Government spokesman added.
Ends/Friday, January 16, 2015
Issued at HKT 23:01
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