Finance Committees--Establishment Subcommittee (Papers) 4 Feb 98

EC(97-98)58
For discussion
on 4 February 1998

ITEM FOR ESTABLISHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE OF
FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 142 - GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT: OFFICES OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY
Subhead 001 Salaries

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee -

the creation of the following new ranks in the Directorate -
Director of Protocol
(D2) ($110,000 - $116,800)
Deputy Director of Protocol
(D1) ($92,650 - $98,300)
the creation of the following permanent post -
1 Director of Protocol
(D2) ($110,000 - $116,800)
to be offset by the deletion of the following rank and post -
1 Director of Protocol
(D1) ($92,650 - $98,300)
the creation of the following supernumerary post from 1 March 1998 to 28 February 2001 -
1 Deputy Director of Protocol
(D1) ($92,650 - $98,300)

PROBLEM

The present ranking of the Director of Protocol is not commensurate with the level of responsibility required of the incumbent; and the Protocol Division also needs an additional directorate officer to cope with its expanding and increasingly complex workload.

PROPOSAL

2. We propose to upgrade the post of Director of Protocol from D1 to D2 level; and to create one supernumerary post of Deputy Director of Protocol ranked at D1 level for a period of three years from 1 March 1998 to 28 February 2001.

JUSTIFICATION

3. The head of the Protocol Division, designated as the Director of Protocol, was pitched at D1 level in 1971. Since then, the scope and complexity of the work undertaken by the Protocol Division has grown significantly, particularly since the reunification on 1 July 1997.

4. Before the reunification, the Protocol Division was mainly responsible for -

overseeing and assisting the Consular Corps in Hong Kong;
processing and vetting recommendations for honours and awards under the British system;
extending courtesies to international dignitaries visiting Hong Kong;
planning, organising and arranging programmes for visits of British royalty (about two to three visits a year); and
advising on protocol matters and etiquette.

5. The Protocol Division's current roles and responsibilities are -

to maintain close liaison with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (MFA Office) on consular relations matters pertaining to the Consular Corps in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR);
to administer and provide assistance to the local Consular Corps;
to extend courtesies to VIPs and foreign dignitaries visiting or transiting Hong Kong;
to provide planning input to and advice on the future operation and management of the Government VIP Lounge at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok;
to plan and co-ordinate visits to the HKSAR by state visitors, People's Republic of China (PRC) leaders and other international dignitaries and to arrange delivery of the visit programmes;
to develop and administer a new honours and awards system;
to advise on the use of the National and HKSAR flags and emblems, protocol matters and etiquette; and
to organise official ceremonial events such as the National Day Flag Raising Ceremony and an annual ceremony to commemorate those who died in the defence of Hong Kong.

6. The current workload is much greater and more complex than that in the past. We set out below the case for strengthening the directorate structure for the Protocol Division.

Consular Management

7. Administration and servicing of the Consular Corps in Hong Kong is one of the main functions of the Protocol Division. This includes maintaining a database for and arranging the gazettal of consular appointments, processing applications of consular privileges and immunities, organising orientation and visits for members of the Consular Corps, and liaising with and giving regular assistance to the Consular Corps, such as vetting of local employees of consular missions, etc.

8. The growth in the number of consulates/honorary consulates in Hong Kong over the years has brought additional workload for the Protocol Division. There were 73 consular missions in Hong Kong when we last reviewed the establishment of the Protocol Division in 1987 (51 in 1971 when the ranking of the Director of Protocol post was pitched at D1 level) compared to 93 at present, representing an increase of about 30% in ten years.

9. Work in this respect has also increased in complexity as well as in volume. With the reunification, countries represented in Hong Kong have exchanged letters or entered into consular agreements with the PRC Government for the maintenance of their consular posts here. Protocol Division has to process applications for consular privileges and immunities in accordance with new sets of terms and provisions that now prevail. The Protocol Division has to liaise closely with relevant parties on the new issues involved with a view to ensuring the smooth implementation of the new agreements.

Liaison with MFA Office

10. With the establishment of the MFA Office on reunification, the Protocol Division has to liaise closely with the Consular Department of the MFA Office on consular relations matters pertaining to the Consular Corps in Hong Kong. This liaison work is a new function, as there was no equivalent arrangement before 1 July 1997.

Courtesies for Visiting Dignitaries

11. The Protocol Division has to ensure that national or international dignitaries visiting or transiting Hong Kong are accorded suitable courtesies, including the use of VIP facilities at the Kai Tak International Airport and other immigration control points. In line with international protocol, the Director of Protocol will extend courtesies to the most senior of the visiting dignitaries (Heads of State, Heads of Government, Foreign Ministers, PRC leaders) by greeting and seeing them off on behalf of the HKSAR Government, and co-ordinating with the Hong Kong Police Force for the provision of suitable security coverage for the visitors. While there are no readily available statistics on the number of greeting/seeing-off actually performed by the Protocol Division in past years, Members may wish to note that the number of VIP parties serviced at the Government VIP Lounge has been increasing at an average annual growth rate of about 5% in recent years. (The number of VIP parties in 1994, 1995 and 1996 were 3 404, 3 609 and 3 774 respectively. The year 1997 has been exceptional, but for reference the number of VIP parties which made use of the Government VIP facilities at the Airport up to November 1997 was 5 210 involving 274 formal greeting/seeing-off by the Protocol Division).

Visits

12. A new and important duty for the Protocol Division is to plan and co-ordinate the visit programmes and reception arrangements for state visitors and PRC leaders coming to Hong Kong.

(a) State visits

13. These are visits by Heads of State (Presidents or reigning monarchs) or Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) coming to the HKSAR as part of their state visit programmes to the Mainland. Before the reunification, there were no state visits to Hong Kong. There were working or private visits of foreign dignitaries, which were primarily co-ordinated by the respective consulates in Hong Kong, with advice and facilitation from the Protocol Division as necessary. After the reunification, apart from dealing with routine working and private visits of foreign dignitaries, the Protocol Division has to take on the planning and implementation of large-scale state visits, for the Hong Kong part of the programme for which the HKSAR administration is responsible.

14. We estimate that there will be about 10 to 12 state visits of Heads of State or Heads of Government to Hong Kong each year. Such visits involve comprehensive planning to ensure that receptions are courteous, efficient and proper in all aspects, and all arrangements are exactly right. As the state visitors would usually travel with a very large delegation (often exceeding 50 persons including officials, businessmen and press), advanced planning and careful co-ordination of the itinerary and transport arrangements are required. This calls for a significant amount of work and manpower in programme planning, co-ordination and delivery. Also, we require input at directorate level to determine the orientation and balance of the visit programmes for the state visitors, and to accompany the state visitors during their stay in Hong Kong.

(b) Visits of PRC leaders

15. In the past, PRC leaders ¹ visiting Hong Kong were received by the New China News Agency, Hong Kong Branch. With the establishment of the Government of the HKSAR on 1 July 1997, the Protocol Division is responsible for receiving PRC leaders visiting Hong Kong. In the absence of operational experience, it is difficult to estimate with precision the demand on this front. For planning purpose, we assume that there will be about 20 such visits a year which require Protocol Division's assistance, of which ten will be originated by the HKSAR Government and ten at the invitation of non-government organisations. Similar to state visits, such visits require input at directorate level to determine the orientation and balance of the visit programmes, and impose on the Protocol Division a significant amount of work in programme planning, co-ordination and delivery.

VIP Facilities at the New Airport at Chek Lap Kok

16. The Hong Kong Airport Authority will run the Government VIP Lounge at the new airport on behalf of the Government, whereas the Civil Aviation Department currently operates and manages the VIP Lounge at Kai Tak Airport.

17. With the impending relocation of the airport to Chek Lap Kok, the Protocol Division is heavily involved in providing planning input and working out the new operational arrangements for the VIP facilities at the new airport. The Protocol Division needs to devote considerable staff input to specifying Government's detailed requirements to the Hong Kong Airport Authority and in ensuring that the planned facilities and services would meet the specified requirements. Under the arrangement for the new airport, the Protocol Division will be responsible for overseeing the operation and management of the Government VIP Lounge run by the Hong Kong Airport Authority and will closely monitor the cost for the hire of this service.

Protocol, Ceremonial Matters and Honours and Awards

18. With the reunification, we have to review many of the established practices relating to protocol, ceremonial and etiquette matters. The Protocol Division needs to develop a new set of protocol and ceremonial arrangements appropriate to the HKSAR. The Division is also responsible for developing and administering a new honours and awards system for the HKSAR.

Upgrading the post of Director of Protocol to D2 Level

19. The Director of Administration has recently completed a Review on the staffing level and structure of the Protocol Division. In view of the level and complexity of the work handled by the Division, the Review recommends that the Division should be headed by an officer of sufficient seniority to provide the overall leadership and direction required for running the range of services for which the Division is responsible, especially in the face of the new operating environment described above. We therefore recommend pitching the post of Director of Protocol at D2 level. The job description of the post is at Enclosure 1. The Director of Protocol is proposed as a departmental post not tied to any particular grade structure. It may be filled by potential officers in other fields of the civil service.

Creation of one Supernumerary Post of Deputy Director of Protocol (D1)

20. Given the growing functions, additional responsibilities and new tasks being taken up by the Protocol Division, the Review also recommends the creation of a supernumerary Deputy Director of Protocol (D1) post, for a tenure of three years, to assist the Director of Protocol to handle important issues such ascompilation of a manual for protocol and ceremonial matters, liaison with the Hong Kong Airport Authority on the planning and commissioning of the Government VIP Lounge at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok; assessment of the standard and cost-effectiveness of the Government VIP service provided by the Hong Kong Airport Authority in due course; and development and administration of a new honours and awards system for the HKSAR.

21. The Director of Protocol has a representational role to perform, attending various official functions and extending courtesies to international dignitaries on their visits to Hong Kong. The enhanced responsibilities and increased range of matters requiring his/her personal attention has generated a considerable amount of competing claims on his/her time. It is important therefore that there is a Deputy Director of Protocol to deputise for him/her in these representational duties. It is undoubtedly true that substantial, albeit intangible, benefits in the form of goodwill and understanding can accrue to Hong Kong from proper reception of important visitors if we create favourable impression. We may compromise such benefits if reception arrangements are poor or indifferent. In certain cases, therefore, it would not be appropriate or desirable to delegate the Director of Protocol's representational duties to a non-directorate officer.

22. We consider it necessary and appropriate to create a supernumerary D1 post in the Protocol Division to assist the Director of Protocol to solve some of the immediate issues. The Deputy Director of Protocol post, like the Director of Protocol post, should be a departmental post. We will review the continued need for the Deputy Director of Protocol post in three years. The job description for the post of Deputy Director of Protocol is at Enclosure 2.

Staffing Level of Protocol Division

23. Since 1988, the Protocol Division has comprised nine staff and this staff complement has remained unchanged for about 10 years. To cope with the upsurge in workload and increased activities, the Division has loaned four Executive Officers (one Chief Executive Officer, one Senior Executive Officer and two Executive Officers I), mainly for visits duties, from the General Grades Operational Reserve pending creation of additional posts. The Review recommends that to enable the Protocol Division to effectively perform its new roles and increased responsibilities, the Division's establishment should expand from the existing nine posts to 20 posts.

24. On 22 December 1997, we briefed the Panel of Public Service on the findings of the Review on the organisation and staffing level of the Protocol Division. Some Members were of the views that part of the increased workload of the Division might be of a temporary nature prompted by a number of major events which took place in Hong Kong in 1997, such as the Handover Ceremonies and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Conference. Members also enquired whether it would be feasible to create some supernumerary posts to cope with the immediate upsurge in workload.

25. We have reconsidered the proposed staffing arrangements in the light of Members views. We conclude that while we do need an expanded team of core staff in the Protocol Division to cope with the range of new duties and responsibilities, some of the proposed additional posts may be filled on a supernumerary basis or through other temporary arrangements. We intend to create six additional permanent posts (on top of the nine existing posts) to strengthen support to the Director of Protocol at various levels. We will create the additional Deputy Director of Protocol (D1) post on a supernumerary basis for three years and fill the other four additional posts, includingProtocol (D, one Senior Executive Officer, one Executive Officer I, one Assistant Clerical Officer, and one Personal Secretary II, on a temporary or on loan basis pending a further staff review in three years time. The existing and proposed organisation of the Division are atEnclosures 3 and 4 respectively.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

26. The additional notional annual salary cost of this proposal at MID-POINT is -

		$		No. of Posts
	New permanent post		1,360,800	1
	New supernumerary post		1,144,200	1
Less	Permanent post deleted		1,144,200	1
	Additional cost		1,360,800	1

27. The additional full annual average staff cost of the proposal, including salaries and staff on-costs, is $1,703,268. In addition, this proposal will necessitate the creation of one Personal Secretary II post at an additional notional annual mid-point salary cost of $171,960 and an additional full annual average staff cost of $283,620.

28. No provision has been included in the 1997-98 Estimates to meet the cost of this proposal, which is estimated at $113,400 for the remainder of the financial year. Subject to Members approval, we shall provide the supplementary provision required under delegated authority. We will include sufficient provision in the 1998-99 draft Estimates to meet the cost of the proposal.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

29. To meet the immediate operational need of the Protocol Division, we have created a supernumerary Senior Principal Executive Officer (D2) post from 15 October 1997 to 14 April 1998 under delegated authority to act as the Director of Protocol while leaving the permanent post vacant.

CIVIL SERVICE BUREAU COMMENTS

30. In view of the increasing complexity and volume of work taken up by the Protocol Division, Civil Service Bureau supports the upgrading of the Director of Protocol post to D2 level. It also considers appropriate to provide a supernumerary Deputy Director of Protocol post ranked at D1 level to assist in dealing with the wide range of duties pending a review to be conducted in three years' time.

ADVICE OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON DIRECTORATE SALARIES AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

31. The Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service has advised that the grading proposed for the post of Director of Protocol would be appropriate if the post were to be created. As the post of Deputy Director of Protocol is proposed on a supernumerary basis, its creation, if approved, will be reported to the Standing Committee on Directorate Salaries and Conditions of Service in accordance with the agreed procedure.

Administration Wing, Chief Secretary for Administration's Office
January 1998

1. The term "PRC leaders" refers to officials at the rank of vice-premier and above. There are some 70 officials in this category.

Enclosure 1 to EC(97-98)58

Job Description

Post Title :	Director of Protocol
Proposed Rank :	D2
Accountable to :	Deputy Director of Administration

Main Duties and Responsibilities

To provide steer and leadership for the Protocol Division, and to ensure its quality of work and efficiency.
To be responsible for all day-to-day management matters relating to the Consular Corps and other foreign missions in Hong Kong, including their privileges and immunities.
To liaise with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in respect of consular relations matters pertaining to the Consular Corps in Hong Kong.
To receive, and where appropriate as in the case of state visitors and PRC leaders, devise and organise visit programmes for important visitors.
To advise all Government departments, and where requested, non-government organisations on matters of precedence, protocol and etiquette; and to develop a set of protocol and ceremonial arrangements appropriate to the circumstances of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
To be responsible for the efficient and effective provision of Government VIP facilities, operated through the Hong Kong Airport Authority, at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok.
To compile and maintain a Precedence Table for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and to advise on the eligibility for the use of the Government VIP facilities at various immigration control points.
To be responsible for organising official ceremonial events such as the presentation of honours, the National Day Flag Raising Ceremony, and an annual ceremony to commemorate those who died in the defence of Hong Kong.

Enclosure 2 to EC(97-98)58

Job Description

Post Title :	Deputy Director of Protocol
Proposed Rank :	D1
Accountable to :	Director of Protocol

Main Duties and Responsibilities

To deputise for the Director of Protocol in receiving important visitors and in attending official and social functions as the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
To assist the Director of Protocol in overseeing the planning and co-ordination of visits by state visitors, PRC leaders and other international dignitaries.
To assist the Director of Protocol in the liaison with the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in respect of consular relations matters pertaining to the Consular Corps in Hong Kong.
To assist the Director of Protocol in developing a set of protocol and ceremonial arrangements appropriate to the circumstances of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and to compile the necessary protocol manuals.
To ensure the smooth commissioning of the Government VIP Lounge at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok; to set standards for and monitor the services to be provided by the Hong Kong Airport Authority in operating the VIP Lounge; and to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the Government VIP facilities at the new airport and to ensure prudent resource management.
To take charge of the administration of the new honours and awards system for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
To supervise the Visit Section and the Consular Affairs Section.

ITEM FOR ESTABLISHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 142 - GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT: OFFICES OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY Subhead 001 Salaries

Job Description

Job Description

ITEM FOR ESTABLISHMENT SUBCOMMITTEE OF
FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 142 - GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT: OFFICES OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION AND THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY
Subhead 001 Salaries