Who benefits from the ‘significant improvement’ in Hong Kong’s finances?

It’s that time of the year again – tax season, so don’t forget to fill out your return. It’s also the time of the year when the Hong Kong Government decides on pay rises for its civil service staff of over 170,000.There’s a well-established system for deciding on pay rises. It includes the pay trend survey submitted to the government last week. Its preliminary results indicate that civil servants are in line for wage increases of 4.12 per cent for senior civil servants, 2.64 per cent for middle-ranking staff and 1.17 per cent for junior employees.The survey is just one of the factors the Executive Council considers before it determines the annual pay adjustments offered to civil servants. Exco will also take into account the state of the economy, the cost of living, the government’s fiscal position, staff pay claims and civil service morale.