Integrity and probity of the civil service safeguarded

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In response to press enquiries about the preservation of the integrity of the civil service under the accountability system for principal officials, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joseph WP Wong, said today (April 23) that there were established civil service regulations and guidelines within the civil service to ensure the integrity and probity of civil servants in their discharge of official duties.

"In particular, where there are incidents which are considered to be criminal or corrupt, civil servants are duty bound to report them to the enforcement agencies.

"If civil servants are asked to act in any way which conflicts with their role as civil servants or which affects their integrity and probity, they should report the matter through the procedures for redress laid down in the Administration for appropriate follow-up action," he said.

Mr Wong continued: "In addition, the Principal Officials will be required as a condition of their contract to uphold the principle of maintaining a permanent, political neutral, professional and honest civil service system.

"More specifically, the contract provides that the Principal Officials shall observe a Code of Practice which will include setting out the relationship between the Principal Officials and civil servants and safeguarding the core values of the civil service.

"We will consolidate and elucidate these arrangements in a suitable manner within the civil service so that civil servants have a clear understanding of their working relationship with the Principal Officials," he added.

Mr Wong said: "The Chief Executive has set out in his address to the Legislative Council that, under the accountability system, the civil service will remain permanent, honest, meritocratic and politically neutral. One of the tasks of the Secretary for the Civil Service is to uphold these values of the civil service system."

End/Tuesday, April 23, 2002

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