Decision on Salary Increases for Civil Servants for the 2026-27 Fiscal Year
關於 2026-27 財政年度公務員調薪之決定
Introduction
The Chief Executive in Council has announced a two percent salary increase for all civil service employees, which will be applied retrospectively from April 1.
行政會議已宣布所有公務員加薪 2%，並自 4 月 1 日起追溯適用。
Main Body
This pay adjustment applies to all salary levels, including senior directors. The decision was based on a comprehensive review of six key factors: regional economic performance, changes in the cost of living, the government's financial position, pay trend indicators, staff feedback, and employee morale. While the government acknowledged steady growth and low inflation, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung, emphasized the need for financial caution. She explained that this is necessary due to a previous large budget deficit and the possibility of unexpected costs caused by global political instability and the need for public relief measures.
此次調薪適用於所有薪級，包括高級主管。該決定是基於對六項關鍵因素的全面審視：區域經濟表現、生活成本變動、政府財務狀況、薪酬趨勢指標、員工回饋以及員工士氣。儘管政府承認經濟穩步增長且通貨膨脹率低，但公務員事務局局長楊尚芷強調，財務上需要謹慎。她解釋說，由於先前有大額財政赤字，且全球政治不穩定可能導致意外支出，加上需要採取公共救濟措施，因此此舉十分必要。
Reactions from lawmakers have been mixed. Some legislators expressed concern that the two percent increase is much lower than the Pay Trend Survey results, which suggested increases of 4.12 percent for senior staff and 2.64 percent for middle-ranking employees. They argued that this gap might make the survey less useful and could lead to a loss of skilled professionals to the private sector. Furthermore, they noted that budget cuts of up to seven percent in some departments could damage staff morale. On the other hand, some legislators described the increase as reasonable given the current economic uncertainty, although they called for more transparency regarding how the six factors were weighted.
立法會議員的反應褒貶不一。部分議員表達擔憂，認為 2% 的增幅遠低於薪酬趨勢調查的結果，該調查顯示高級職員增幅為 4.12%，中階員工則為 2.64%。他們認為這種差距可能會降低調查的參考價值，並導致專業人才流向私營部門。此外，他們指出部分部門預算削減高達 7%，可能會損害員工士氣。另一方面，部分議員認為考量到目前的經濟不確定性，此次調薪幅度屬合理，但他們呼籲政府應提高透明度，說明六項因素的權重計算方式。
Conclusion
The proposal is now waiting for the Legislative Council Finance Committee to discuss its impact on the budget.
該提案目前正等待立法會財務委員會討論其對預算的影響。
Vocabulary Learning
The Logic of 'The Gap' 🌉
An A2 speaker usually says: "The pay is low, but the survey says it should be high."
To move to B2, you need to describe the relationship between two different ideas. In this text, we see a professional way to do this using the concept of a 'Gap' and 'Causality'.
🚀 Level-Up: From Basic to B2
A2 Style: "The increase is 2%. The survey says 4%. This is a problem." B2 Style: "There is a gap between the official increase and the survey results, which could lead to a loss of skilled professionals."
🛠️ The Linguistic Toolkit
1. Describing a Difference (The Gap) Instead of just saying "different," use terms that show a space between two points:
- "The gap might make the survey less useful."
- Usage tip: Use "gap" when comparing a goal vs. reality, or a promise vs. a result.
2. Predicting Consequences (The Chain Reaction) B2 fluency requires moving beyond "so." Use these phrases to show a professional cause-and-effect chain:
- Could lead to... "...could lead to a loss of skilled professionals."
- Might make... "...might make the survey less useful."
- Due to... "...necessary due to a previous large budget deficit."
💡 Pro-Tip: The "Weighting" Concept
Notice the phrase "how the six factors were weighted." In A2, you say: "Which things were more important?" In B2, you say: "How were the factors weighted?"
Challenge: Next time you disagree with a decision, don't just say it's "wrong." Mention the gap between the expectation and the result, and explain what that could lead to.