The Chief Secretary for Administration (Chinese: 政務司司長), commonly known as Chief Secretary and abbreviated as CS, is the second highest position of the Hong Kong Government. The CS assists the Chief Executive (Governor before the transfer of sovereignty) in supervising the policy bureaux as directed by the CE and plays a key role in the government's policy formulation and implementation as a whole. This is particularly important in areas which cut across policy bureaux.
The Chief Secretary also covers specific priority areas of the Chief Executive's policy agenda, and is responsible for forging a closer and more effective working relationship with the Legislative Council and for drawing up the Government's legislative programme.
The Chief Secretary for Administration also exercises statutory functions vested in the position by law, such as those concerning the handling of appeals and certain public bodies.
Before the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, the title was simply "Chief Secretary" (布政司). Before 1976, the title was "Colonial Secretary" (輔政司).
Before the introduction of Principal Officials Accountability System (POAS) in 2002, it was a civil service position. As of 2005, the position has only been filled by former civil servants who retired from the civil service.
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