CE-elect's announcement of appointment of Principal Officials of fourth-term HKSAR Government (with video)
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     Following is the English version of the remarks by the Chief Executive-elect, Mr C Y Leung, at the press conference on the appointments of Principal Officials for the fourth term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government at the Auditorium, Central Government Offices, Tamar, today (June 28):

     The Central Government has accepted my nominations and appointed the Principal Officials of the fourth-term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The press release issued earlier has already given a full list of the Principal Officials and I am not going to repeat it here.

     My team under the accountability system comprises existing Directors of Bureaux. They are all very experienced and have dedicated themselves to public service and made tremendous contributions over the past five years or more. I am indebted to them for having agreed to stay on and continue to serve the community. There are seven new faces among the politically appointed officials, namely Mr Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, Mr Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, Mr Paul Tang Kwok-wai, Mr Mak Chai-kwong, Mr Eddie Ng Hak-kim, Dr Ko Wing-man and Mr Wong Kam-sing. Mr David Sun Tak-kei and Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu will also join my governing team. Full of enthusiasm and vision, they are outstanding members in their respective professions. It gives me great pleasure to have them in my leadership team.

     My governing team shares the same vision with me - seeking changes while preserving stability. It is our common wish to devote ourselves to changing the prolonged sluggishness of our economic and social development. I hope that in five years' time we will have seen continuous improvement in people's quality of life and have a more harmonious society. Our city will be more charming than ever and everyone in our community, including the new generation, will see hope and embrace a new vision.

     Apart from Principal Officials, civil servants are also my key partners. Hong Kong has an excellent civil service known for integrity and efficiency. For many years, the civil service has been delivering services to the public diligently and dedicatedly. Civil servants have not only won the trust of the people, but have also contributed significantly to the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. After the Chief Executive Election, I have met with all major civil service bodies several times within the span of three months. I must thank them for their continued support during this period. My governing team and I will continue to co-operate fully with civil servants. Whether in the face of praise or criticism, we will stick together. I will ensure that the civil service system will remain intact and the civil service stable. I will also listen attentively to civil servants, press ahead determinedly with policies and back up civil servants fully along the way.

     It is my conviction to work for the betterment of Hong Kong with one heart and one vision. Solidarity is the prerequisite for effective policy implementation. For the Government and the community to be united, we must narrow the distance between people from different districts, strata and sectors, spatially, psychologically and politically. Officials should constantly keep track of the people's sentiments and views as well as make themselves known to the public. This will be one of the future goals that my governing team should set out to achieve. To this end, we will strive to build a people-oriented government, listen to the views of the people, amass social wisdom and strengthen social cohesion.

     I have promised that my governing team will have direct interaction with the public and will stand accountable to our people. To fulfil this, we will embark on territory-wide district visits after the swearing in on July 1. Together with the Chief Secretary for Administration and some of the Directors of Bureaux, we will meet the public in six of the districts to get to know their needs and collect their views on July 2. Meetings with people in the remaining 12 districts will be scheduled for the two following weekends.

     In the next five years, we will make prudent adjustments and seek changes while maintaining stability. We will safeguard the core values that we have treasured for years, resolve deep-seated conflicts, improve the livelihood of our people and work towards the harmony and stability of our society. I know that the road ahead is bound to be rough and a lot of challenges are lying in store for us. However, we will not be daunted. I am confident that my team and I will overcome all difficulties and prove our commitment to Hong Kong through our deeds. Together, we, the fourth-term Government, will bring positive changes to Hong Kong and live up to public expectations.

Ends/Thursday, June 28, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:49

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