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Letters

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words
Third Side has long pushed for civil service accountability reform, focusing not on punishment, but on transparency and real accountability. We welcome the latest policy address putting the “Heads of Department Accountability System” front and centre, with the Public Service Commission handling independent investigations. The direction is spot on. The real test now is delivery. Three principles will make or break this reform: responsibility must be clear, information must be transparent, improvements must stick.
For years, government departments lived by one rule: do not aim for success, just avoid failure. Endless red tape kills initiatives before they start. For accountability to work, we need measurable targets that show results. Each department should focus on three to five key outcomes with clear deadlines.
But punishment alone will not change how people work. We need to reward innovation. Reward results. Reward public servants who step up and get things done.
Currently, Hong Kong has two separate accountability systems. The new heads of department system covers civil servants, while the existing principal officials system covers political appointees. These need to connect into one unbroken responsibility chain from bureau secretaries down to frontline civil servants, with everyone subject to performance evaluation and consequences tied to results.
The Hong Kong government has a chronic problem: authority and responsibility do not match, and different levels have different goals. Senior officials handle external commitments, middle management controls resources, frontline staff focus on implementation. Too often everyone works separately, and the final results do not match expectations.
To fix this, three things must happen. First, power lines must be crystal clear. Who has authority over what? Second, everything must line up from policy to execution. Third, accountability standards must be rock solid.
We need to bring accountability back to the people. Officials must answer to the public. Every major policy should lay out the problem, solution, costs, risks and timeline.
Giving the Public Service Commission more power to investigate failures is right. But transparency matters more. Every department should produce annual performance reports. Make indicators public. Show residents what has been accomplished.
When incidents happen, it’s not enough to just file a report. Cases need Legislative Council review with action items and deadlines. Let follow-up happen in broad daylight.
We back this accountability system as major reform. When the system is transparent, reform will work. When civil servants get efficient, people trust the government. When people trust the government, society grows stronger.
Dr Tik Chi Yuen, legislative councillor
Multilingual pupils will be credit to city
It’s excellent news that some local schools will get funding to provide foreign language classes for students (“170 Hong Kong schools to offer extra languages under HK$250,000 subsidy scheme”, September 1). Years ago, my native English-speaking classmate likened the ability of Hongkongers to switch between Cantonese, Mandarin and English with ease to a magic trick.
Biliteracy and trilingualism have been woven into the fabric of Hong Kong, thanks in no small part to the government’s efforts to promote them. People from all walks of life recognise the economic, communication and social benefits of being able to use multiple languages. Whether it’s negotiating business, reaching consensus or making tourists feel welcome, language proficiency in Mandarin, Cantonese and English goes a long way towards building a knowledge-based economy, facilitating cultural exchange and boosting Hong Kong’s image as an international metropolis.
The benefits of acquiring multiple languages include enhanced multitasking, improved memory, better problem-solving skills and increased cognitive flexibility.
By learning foreign languages like Japanese, Korean or French, students can broaden their horizons, grab more opportunities for cultural exchange and burnish their portfolios for university admission. Those who finish elementary courses in junior forms may be incentivised to continue with their language studies in senior forms by enrolling in language courses offered by private service providers or continuing their language studies at university.
Better still, those who find the curriculum boring may enjoy the opportunity to learn something beyond the usual syllabus, building relationships with classmates and developing resilience, one of the goals of the Education Bureau’s 4Rs Mental Health Charter.
Moreover, the funding could level the playing field between well-off and poor families, as the latter usually may not be able to afford the fees for language courses themselves.
As an integral part of the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong is in a prime position to be a tourist hotspot, an engine of the economy and an international education hub against the backdrop of globalisation. Nurturing talent in language certainly fits the bill.
Jason Tang, Tin Shui Wai


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John Lee’s policy address leaves some big questions unanswered

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Opinion

Readers discuss the accountability system proposed in the chief executive’s policy address, and funding for foreign language learning in schools


Readers discuss the accountability system proposed in the chief executive’s policy address, and funding for foreign language learning in schools.


.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Readers discuss the accountability system proposed in the chief executive’s policy address, and funding for foreign language learning in schools

Readers discuss the accountability system proposed in the chief executive’s policy address, and funding for foreign language learning in schools