Principal officials of Hong Kong


Principal officials, according to the Basic Law, are government officials who are nominated by the Chief Executive and appointed by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. They include departmental secretaries and secretaries of policy bureaux. Five other officials are also principal officials because of the importance of their positions.
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 who 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 1 July 2002, secretaries of departments and secretaries of bureaux are political appointees. Before that all of the 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

  • Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration
  • Deputy Financial Secretary
  • Deputy Secretary for Justice

    Directors of Bureaux

  • Supervised by the Chief Secretary:
  • *Secretary for the Civil Service
  • *Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
  • *Secretary for Education
  • *Secretary for Environment and Ecology
  • *Secretary for Health
  • *Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs
  • *Secretary for Labour and Welfare
  • *Secretary for Security
  • *Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism
  • Supervised by the Financial Secretary:
  • *Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
  • *Secretary for Development
  • *Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
  • *Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry
  • *Secretary for Housing
  • *Secretary for Transport and Logistics

    Heads of Specified Independent Agencies or Disciplined Services

  • Commissioner of Police
  • Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption
  • Director of Audit
  • Commissioner of Customs and Excise
  • Director of Immigration