Top officials' annual salaries add up to over HK$180 million

As Hong Kong is set to grapple with a deficit surpassing HK$100 billion, the debate over whether politically appointed officials (PAOs) and civil servants should face salary cuts or freezes has ignited discussions throughout the city.

In the Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, Executive Council convenor and lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee inquired about the remuneration and benefits for PAOs.

It was revealed that over the past decade, salaries for the bureau chiefs and political assistants have increased by 24.1 percent.

The monthly salary of chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu is HK$469,495, marking an increase of HK$17,295 since 2022, with an annual salary exceeding HK$5.63 million. 

Meanwhile, the monthly salaries for the Chief Secretary for Administration, Financial Secretary and Secretary for Justice are HK$417,330, HK$403,215, and HK$389,580 respectively, with a salary increase of around 3.8 percent since 2022.

The monthly salaries for the three Deputy Secretaries are HK$382,990.

The combined annual wages for the Chief Executive, the three Secretaries, the three deputy secretaries and 15 bureau chiefs total approximately HK$177 million.

The government stated that the current remuneration for the PAOs was approved and passed by both the chief executive and the Independent Commission on Remuneration for Members of the Executive Council and the Legislature, and Officials under the Political Appointment System of the HKSAR (the Commission) in May 2022. 

Salaries for PAOs are adjusted annually according to the average movement in the Consumer Price Index, with the Chief Executive's salary set at 112.5 percent of the Secretary for Administration's salary.

When the Commission reviewed the remuneration package of PAOs in 2022, it planned to examine issues regarding the medical and dental benefits level, which will be discussed further before the end of March 2025.

Since the implementation of the political appointment system in 2002, PAOs have experienced salary reductions in 2002, 2003, 2009, and 2020.