Carrie Lam says she will take a 10 percent pay cut a day after defending her 2.56 percent salary increase as pressure mounted for her to show solidarity with the rest of Hong Kong.
Lasting for a year, the 10 percent salary cut will also involve the director of the Chief Executive's Office, and all other accountable senior officials, including the three major secretaries and all 13 bureau heads. The total amount of reduced wages is HK$73.2 million.
Before the Exco action, Lam said it would be up to Exco and Legislative Council members whether to follow her lead in the fight to counter the Covid-19 pandemic.
"It was not a decision made within these two or three days," Lam said yesterday, insisting there was no political consideration.Stressing the original pay rise was a usual adjustment based on the inflation rate last July, she urged the public to "speak the principles out with facts," adding that the mechanism had also been applied to Exco and Legco members.
Pro-establishment Roundtable lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun said on Tuesday in a Legco meeting that it was ridiculous for the government to make such a brazen move.Lam and her crew earlier made a HK$10 million donation of their February wages to the Community Chest Fund to "demonstrate solidarity" with society.
Meanwhile, the government said it will waive the license registration fees for medical workers for three years to the tune of HK$120,000. This would show support for medical workers, Lam said.But she said Hospital Authority chief executive Tony Ko Pat-sing would continue to take action against the 6,000 workers who had taken part in the strike to demand the complete closure of SAR borders against inbound visitors to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
