Letters | Hong Kong civil service reform: replace ‘iron rice bowl’ with a contract system

Readers discuss ways to inculcate a culture of accountability and hard work among Hong Kong’s civil servants and the reaction on social media to a recent Dior creation

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Civil servants return to work at the government offices in Tamar on May 18. Reforming the civil service to make it more responsive is one of the top priorities on Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s to-do list. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 2:30pm, 22 Jul 2022

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In his costly government revamp, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu promised a better and faster government. However, how well and how quickly this work can proceed depends primarily on the quality of civil servants.

The incentives for joining the government are obvious, including a fairly good salary and promotion prospects. Unfortunately, these incentives might also deter civil servants from working hard.

Accordingly, a complete overhaul of government employment and promotion policy is required. Most importantly, the “iron rice bowl” must be replaced by a contract system with a two- or three-year term. Each officer is then assessed on his own merits.

However, the crux of the problem is how to assess technical and professional staff. At present, provided you are following established procedures, the project you manage can overrun or overspend. However, you will not be rewarded for designing a cost-effective project, having it underspend or finishing ahead of schedule.

The main reason for such outcomes is because most projects are now managed by administrative officers who are regarded by government as experts in various fields. Undoubtedly, they have good general knowledge in most fields. However, they are certainly not experts in such specialised fields as buildings and structures.