17 October 1998

Chief Executive should try out Ministerial System in Government Reshuffle

(keywords:- Policy Address, civil service, infectious diseases, centralisation, food hygiene)

          The most recent civil service reshuffle defied all media forecast. As expected, the announcement brought on mixed, yet mainly positive, interpretations. Some cited the exercise as the Chief Executive's initiative to put the creme de la creme in crucial areas for societal development. Some viewed the choice for the head of our Beijing Office as evidence to dispel concern of political recrimination of our civil servants' pre-handover work. Some equated the creation of a Chief Executive spokesman as determination to polish Government's image.

          Let us hope that this reshuffle is not just a routine musical chair exercise but rather a move to skimp out the weed and improve the efficiency of our still very much respected civil service.

          But this is far from being enough. Yes, our administrative officers have always demonstrated they can assume "overnight experts". Yet within the ranks, there is a deficiency in professional expertise and market experience so very much needed to face crisis and to come out with in-depth solutions. Such weakness is obvious to all during this crisis-plagued year.

          Yes, some of these disasters are unavoidable. Yet, could some of the happenings be averted if our civil servants were more alert to the changing situations? Could the magnitude of the disasters be reduced if our civil servants worked in better coordination? Could damage be minimised if there was better leadership?

          The least the Administration could do would be to take on self-assessment, self-criticism, self-censorship, and take stock of the lessons learnt for improving future performance. Regrettably, such was not forthcoming in the Policy Address. Instead, the Chief Executive gave the thumb up sign of approval saying, for example in the avian flu saga, that "we finally got rid of the bird flu, and had approval from international bodies".

          Thus, with centralisation of food and environmental hygiene in the pipeline, it may be opportune for the Chief Executive to launch a pilot of politically appointing a minister with professional expertise to the new bureau. Such ministerial system may well be the solution for ineffective governance by top officials, who actually act as political ministers to formulate and lobby support for policies, yet lacking public mandate nor accountability.

          Nevertheless, whilst centralisation of food and environmental hygiene should be supported, the Government's proposal of setting up a brand new bureau and department to deal with the task leaves much to be desired. As proposed, the new body will take under its wings the departments of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and Fisheries, the waste collection and disposal work from the municipal departments, as well as food hygiene and disease control aspects from the Department of Health (DH). Yet, the DH will still be under the remit of the Health and Welfare Bureau (HWB).

          Officials told legislators of their plans to improve efficiency of dealing with infectious diseases -- those related with food will be the responsibility of the new department; and the others will fall back into the down-scaled DH. Take a specific example: an epidemic of cholera will be under the charge of the new department; but an epidemic of flu will be under the DH, unless perhaps if it is avian flu because it originates from chickens and therefore food related.

          How ridiculous! What does centralisation mean when even the handling of infectious diseases would have to be under two bureaux and two departments?

          The medical profession has been pushing for a centralised body to bring healthier and cleaner food from farm to connoisseurs' table. Yet, we should set off with the best possible mechanism. It may be much more tidy to put the task of food and environmental hygiene under the HWB to be executed by an expanded and reformed DH. Or if a new bureau is a must, split the HWB to form a new Health Bureau to take charge.

          It is imminent for Government to re-examine its proposal!

(Hongkong Standard)