Principal officials of Hong Kong

Principals officials (zh-t|t=主要官員), as according to the Basic Law, are government officials that are nominated by the Chief Executive and appointed by the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. They include secretaries of departments and secretaries of policy bureaux. Five other officials are also "principal officials" because of the importance of their positions (although three of them report to the secretaries and permanent secretaries of policy bureaux).

They are required to be citizens of the People's Republic of China who are permanent residents of Hong Kong with no right of abode in any foreign country and have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 15 years.

When assuming office, they must, in accordance with law, swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear their allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

Since the introduction of the Principal Officials Accountability System on July 1st, 2002, secretaries of departments and secretaries of bureaux (but not the other five officials) are political appointees. Before that all principal officials were civil servants. The civil servants who held the positions of secretaries of bureaux have their titles changed to permanent secretaries, and are no longer principal officials.

List

*Secretaries of departments
**Chief Secretary for Administration
**Financial Secretary
**Secretary for Justice
*Deputy secretaries of departments
**"None"
*Secretaries of Bureaux
**Secretary for the Civil Service
**Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
**Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
**Secretary for Development
**Secretary for Education
**Secretary for the Environment
**Secretary for Transport and Housing
**Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
**Secretary for Food and Health
**Secretary for Home Affairs
**Secretary for Labour and Welfare
**Secretary for Security
*Directors of Bureaux
**Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption
**Director of Audit
**Commissioner of Police
**Director of Immigration
**Commissioner of Customs and Excise

External links

* [http://www.gov.hk/en/about/govdirectory/po/index.htm Principal Officials of the Hong Kong SAR government]
* [http://www.info.gov.hk/basic_law/fulltext/content0204.htm Chapter IV: Political Structure - Basic Law]
* [http://www.info.gov.hk/info/name-e.htm Who's Who]