A man passes by the East Wing Forecourt (the Forecourt) of the Central Government Offices (CGO), Tamar, Hong Kong, on Dec 28, 2017.  (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday revealed that the city’s top officials will see their annual income cut by 20 percent, or around HK$17 million in total, through a combination of voluntary income cuts and donations.

Talking to the media after an interview with a local radio station, Chan said Hong Kong’s Chief Executive and key government officials face a total of 20 percent cut in their annual salaries this year, which include a 10-percent pay cut and a donation of a month’s salary.

In February, a large number of government officials donated one month's salary amounting to more than HK$10.8 million to a local charity organization

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced Wednesday that she, together with 16 secretaries and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, will cut salaries by 10 percent for the coming 12 months to show solidarity with the people as the city fights the deadly coronavirus outbreak. 

The move is expected to save HK$6.18 million in the government budget. 

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The outbreak has had a  severe impact on Hong Kong's economy, resulting in job losses and wage cuts in various sectors.

Earlier in February, a large number of government officials donated one month's salary amounting to more than HK$10.8 million to the Community Chest of Hong Kong, a local charity organization. 

The donation came from Chief Executive and 44 political appointees, including secretaries of departments, directors of bureaus, the director of the Chief Executive's Office, undersecretaries and political assistants of the special administrative region government.

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During the broadcast Sunday, the finance secretary also said he has no plans to lift the property measures introduced years ago aimed at cooling the real estate market.

Last week, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced a fresh stimulus package worth about HK$137.5 billion (US$17.7 billion) to support the city’s deteriorating economy brought about by the coronavirus outbreak. The additional spending accounts for about 9.5% of gross domestic product and almost doubles Hong Kong’s projected budget deficit for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

*With inputs from Bloomberg