Government to merge environmental operations to save costs

The Government will streamline its environmental protection agencies to improve service delivery and save costs.

It plans to merge the Environment Branch of the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau with the Environmental Protection Department on April 1, 2005.

Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment) Kwok Ka-keung will take up the extra title of Director of Environmental Protection.

Existing Director Rob Law will begin pre-retirement leave on the same day after 23 years of distinguished service with the Government.

The merged entity will be called the Environmental Protection Department (EPD).

"The merger will achieve synergy between policy formulation and implementation," Mr Kwok said today (September 23). "It is in line with the Government's commitment to streamlining and de-layering the decision-making process."

"It will create an organisation that is able to integrate professional and public policy aspects of policy formulation at the earliest possible stage. The new organisation will be more nimble in responding to new environmental challenges," he said.

It will remain the statutory authority responsible for the independent administration of environmental protection laws in Hong Kong, and will continue to enforce the laws without fear or favour.

The opportunity is also being taken to restructure some aspects of the EPD's current organisation to accommodate staff losses under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme and the Efficiency Savings Programme while maintaining the quality of service delivery.

In particular, the new organisation will focus more on partnership with stakeholders and assisting trades in complying with environmental legislation.

The merger will mean a net reduction of four directorate posts resulting in savings of $8.85 million a year in staff costs. In the year leading up to the merger on April 1, EPD will also have shed 29 non-directorate posts with savings of about $20 million a year in staff costs.

Further savings will be achieved within two years of the merger through streamlining and re-engineering internal administration.

Ends/Thursday, September 23, 2004