Hong Kong's Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan has vowed to cut more than 10,000 government posts by the end of June 2027, with close to 60 per cent in junior roles and about 3 per cent at senior levels. She described the move as not 'fattening the top but thinning the bottom', briefing legislators on the 2026-27 budget.
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan vowed on Monday to eliminate more than 10,000 posts in the Hong Kong government by the end of June 2027. Speaking at a special Finance Committee meeting, she briefed legislators on her bureau's 2026-27 budget, noting that the civil service has already been trimmed to 188,000 posts overall.
"The reduction in establishment is the most direct way to cut actual expenditure as the financial provisions for personal emoluments allocated to bureaus and departments are calculated based on the number of posts rather than headcounts," Yeung said. "With the reduction in establishment, the provisions allocated to them will be directly reduced."
Yeung described the cuts as not "fattening the top but thinning the bottom", explaining they are reasonable given the preponderance of frontline staff in the workforce. Close to 60 per cent of the reductions will target junior roles, with about 3 per cent affecting senior levels.
The move aligns with efforts to control public spending under the current administration led by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.