​To enhance governance efficiency and strengthen performance accountability, the Chief Executive has instructed the Chief Secretary for Administration to lead a working group to conduct in-depth reviews of the direct investigation operation reports issued by the Office of The Ombudsman from time to time. This aims to ensure that all heads of government departments proactively follow up on the recommendations from these investigations while strengthening the establishment of departmental management systems and reinforcing performance accountability among departmental managerial staff to enhance public service management.

     Regarding the report released by the Office of The Ombudsman yesterday (April 16) on its direct investigation operation into the Government's regulation of occupational safety and health (OSH) in the construction industry, the Chief Secretary for Administration will meet with the Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, to discuss the investigation findings and analyses in depth. The working group will gain a thorough understanding of the bottlenecks and core issues in the Government's regulation of OSH in the construction industry, with a view to further enhancing the establishment of relevant departmental management systems, particularly the leadership and supervisory functions of managerial staff.

     The Development Bureau, the Labour Department (LD), and the Buildings Department are thoroughly examining and studying the report released by the Office of The Ombudsman and are actively following up on the recommendations. The LD has referred the suspected criminal fraudulent acts discovered during the investigation to law enforcement agencies for follow-up.

Ends/Thursday, April 17, 2025
Issued at HKT 21:21

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