HONG KONG - Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Friday that civil servants’ commitment and dedication are imperative in efforts to control the novel coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong.
“The hard work and commitment of the civil service are imperative to the effective implementation of the response measures,” Lam said in a letter to 176,600 civil servants in the financial hub.
“We are facing unprecedented circumstances and have to respond to unforeseen situation,” Lam said.
The hard work and commitment of the civil service are imperative to the effective implementation of the response measures.
Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Hong Kong's chief executive, said in a letter
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Lam also thanked her frontline colleagues, including those who are retired but have returned to volunteer work, for their help at border checkpoints, quarantine centers, hotline service centers and local mask production facilities.
Lam said at a meeting with heads of various departments, she had urged them to pay attention to their staff’s situation and concerns in “a considerate and caring manner.”
She also promised to address their concerns about the shortage of face mask supply. The city’s civil servants who have been working from home since Jan 25 are expected to report for work in their offices next Monday.
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Noting that the virus situation could last for some time, Lam said the government would implement flexible measures to reduce social contact while ensuring the efficiency and availability of public services. She emphasized that such measures would not compromise the government’s aim to bring the outbreak under control.
Starting next Monday, the government will gradually resume its normal operation to provide basic public services. Stressing the need to lower the risk of community outbreak, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong said beginning next week, the government would apply flexible work arrangements.
Also on Friday, the Finance Committee of Legislative Council approved an annual pay rise of up to 5.26 percent for civil servants after six meetings of more than a total of 25 hours of deliberation.
The pay hike will be backdated to April 1, 2019 as the proposal has been held up at the city’s legislature after its complex was stormed and heavily-vandalized by radicals on July 1.
Law said he is pleased with this approval. The pay rise will take effect at the end of next month.
