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Robert Cairns

Updated at 1.13pm:
The role of the Executive Council in Hong Kong would be expanded in order to improve governance, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said on Wednesday.

 Unveiling these proposals in his first policy address, Mr Tsang said the government needed to secure a ?broader and firmer? support base.

 The chief executive said he would increase the membership of the council and the Commission on Strategic Development.
 
 ?And, I will rejuvenate the membership of advisory boards and statutory bodies to harvest the experience of leaders in their fields and provide them with an opportunity to play a greater role in the different levels of leadership of the SAR,? he added.

 The Executive Council assists the Chief Executive in his decision making. Mr Tsang said he had decided to increase the number of non-official members in the council.

 ?To allow more time and opportunities for non-official members to express their views and to put forward proposals, only the top three principal officials and I will attend all council meetings as official members,? he explained.
 
 ?Other official members can opt to attend only when items on the agenda concern their portfolios,? he said.

 The non-official members will have more opportunities to participate at an earlier stage of policy making, and will be able to focus on individual policy areas through division of labour.

 ?They will also play a more active role in assisting the government to explain and promote policies to the public, and to enhance communication between the government and different sectors of the community. I believe an expanded Executive Council will bring about significant improvements to our governance,? he added.

He also outlined a greater role for the Commission on Strategic Development. This is chaired by the Chief Executive. It was established in 1998 to explore long-term development strategies.
 
?I look upon the commission as our most important advisory body. I will substantially expand its membership to around 100 by inviting talent from different fields. It will provide a platform for all sectors of the community to explore with the Government major issues pertaining to our long-term development,? he said.
 
Mr Tsang said the commission would be able to gauge a range of community views to help forge a consensus on important issues, thereby laying the foundation for formulating specific policies.
 
?The commission?s work will help make policy formulation more scientific and transparent, backed up by enhanced public participation and acceptance. To improve operational efficiency, three panels will be set up under the commission to study political, economic and social development.?
 
He said the Central Policy Unit would provide research and secretariat support to the commission.

?At present, the government has a few hundred advisory boards and statutory bodies. They serve as important partners in achieving effective governance.
 
?We attach great importance to the work they do. We see them as think tanks for public policies and channels for our people to participate in public affairs. When current members? terms expire, we will actively seek to bring in more people from different sectors.?
 
Mr Tsang said the role of the District Councils would also be expanded.
 
?The Government will allow each District Council to assume responsibility for the management of some district facilities, such as libraries, community halls, leisure grounds, sports venues and swimming pools.
 
?The executive departments will follow the decisions of the District Council in managing such facilities, within the limits of their existing statutory powers and resources available.
 
?I have asked the working party under the Home Affairs Bureau and the Constitutional Affairs Bureau to work out an implementation plan for this proposal in the context of the on-going review of the functions and structure of the District Councils.?

He said the formal public consultation on the review would commence in the first quarter of next year.



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Donald Tsang

Executive Council?s role to be expanded