********************************************
The Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS), Mr Clement Cheung, presented awards to 84 civil servants today (November 5) for their meritorious achievements. The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, joined them at a cocktail reception to express his appreciation to the award recipients and share their joy.
Extending his warmest congratulations to the 84 awardees from 33 bureaux and departments, 47 grades and 57 ranks at the presentation ceremony, Mr Cheung thanked them for their contributions to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the community.
Mr Cheung said that the SCS's Commendation Scheme aims to encourage colleagues who have achieved outstanding work performance continuously for at least five years. The Scheme has a meticulous selection process which requires nominations from Permanent Secretaries, departmental heads or heads of grades, and is adjudicated by a committee appointed by the SCS. As there are only around 80 awardees each year, competition is very keen.
To commend more civil servants who are striving to provide quality and dedicated services to the public, Mr Cheung announced at the presentation ceremony, "In view of this, the Civil Service Bureau has decided to increase the number of awardees by 25 per cent to 100 starting from next year, so that more civil servants can be commended."
Mr Cheung remarked that the rising public expectations towards government services in recent years have inevitably brought pressure and challenges to civil servants. He said, "I encourage all colleagues to continue providing distinguished and reliable public services, as well as working together to build a harmonious and united society."
The Government is committed to upholding high standards of performance and conduct in the civil service. To enhance commendation systems for motivating proactive performance, the SCS's Commendation Scheme was introduced in 2004. Through the award, the SCS, on behalf of the Government, commends selected civil servants for their consistently outstanding performance. This is the 12th presentation ceremony for the scheme since its introduction. Up to now, more than 900 civil servants have been awarded the commendation, including the 84 awardees this year.
Ends/Thursday, November 5, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:22
NNNN
