| In 2003,
the Finance Wing renewed its commitment to achieving cost effectiveness
through a strong sense of responsibility in the management of financial
resources. Once more, several significant targets were met. Our priorities
for the future are to reach the overall goal of Efficiency Savings
by 2006/07, and to continue placing financial authority in the hands
of our budget holders.
The Administration Wing in 2003 continued to
enhance human resource management as an essential support structure
for Police operations. Our achievements in terms of cost-effective
measures to deliver quality service and good staff relations are
set out below. For the future, we will continue to encourage a culture
of rapid response to change, to identify staff savings opportunities
and to maintain staff morale.
Over the year, the Planning and Development
Branch continued to implement several major capital works projects.
One of them is the construction of a new Police Headquarters and
integrated District Headquarters and Divisional Station, which is
on schedule for completion in April 2004. All new capital works
projects are designed to be operationally and energy efficient,
user-friendly as well as highly intelligent. These works projects
reflect our commitment to serving the community and taking the Force
forward into the 21st century.
Finance Wing
2003/04 Financial Results
For the financial year ending March 31, 2004,
the total expenditure of the Force was estimated to be $12 billion,
amounting to about 4 per cent of the Government's total budget for
the year. Of this allocation, salaries and allowances account for
about $10.4 billion, with the rest going towards departmental expenses
and capital items. Fines, penalties and other fees and charges are
expected to produce about $370 million in revenue.
Efficiency Savings Exercise
The Force has agreed to the target of Efficiency
Savings of $246 million for 2003-04. The exercise has been carried
out with an aim to achieve 2 per cent savings on recurrent expenditure
and avoid reduction in front-line Police coverage.
One-line Vote
Expenditures under various traditional sub-heads
are now pooled under the sub-head of operational expenses. Subject
to prescribed conditions, the Force has the flexibility to vire
funds between categories under this sub-head without having to seek
prior approval. This arrangement has facilitated decision making
in resource management considerably. For the financial year ending
March 31, 2004, this flexibility was invoked for some $70 million
of departmental expenditure.
Administration Wing
Civilian Administration
For the performance of duties that do not require
the exercise of constabulary powers, the Force has a civilian establishment
of over 5 400. In March 2003, a second Voluntary Retirement (VR)
Scheme was introduced service-wide to enable surplus staff in designated
civil service grades to retire from the service voluntarily with
retirement benefits and compensation. The Force approved 239 civilian
applications. Release of VR takers commenced in August 2003 and
the process will be completed by July 31, 2004.
In implementing efficiency savings plans, it
is the Management's prime objective that minimum disruption should
be caused to service quality. To this end, the Administration Wing
has been exploring ways to reshuffle civilian staff amongst Formations
to make the best deployment of available staff resources.
Planning & Development Branch
A significant major building project during
the year was the new Police Dog and Force Search Unit Complex at
Sha Ling, New Territories. A new Police post is being built at Penny's
Bay to serve the Disneyland Theme Park and is on schedule for completion
in late 2004. The Marine Police Outer Waters District Headquarters
and Marine Police North Divisional Base at Ma Liu Shui and the New
Territories South Regional Police Headquarters and Operational Base
in Tsuen Wan are on schedule for completion in late 2005.
The construction of new boundary crossing points
to cater for increasing cross-boundary traffic demand requires new
facilities to be constructed in order to police the related areas.
Construction commenced in July 2003 and will be completed in 2005/2006.
The Force-wide Station Improvement Project was
completed in mid 2003 with the Automated Station Security System
implemented in December. The system has enabled the Force to make
staff savings and has enhanced the security of our Police facilities.
Nevertheless, it allows the public free access to report rooms,
thereby improving the quality of our services to the public at large.
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