The Hong Kong government will cut 14,000 civil servants in the first quarter of next year, and reduce welfare subsidies to the work force, said Wong Wing-ping, Secretary for the Civil Service in Hong Kong Wednesday. 

In order to prevent the government expenditures from increasing by 15 percent every year, the Hong Kong government will slash the civil-servant work force from 174,000 to 160,000 in the first quarter of next year, and put a lid on the soaring government expenditures in welfare subsidies to local civil workers, Wong Wing-ping said.

Housing and educational subsidies, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the total welfare subsidies, will be the main part of the reduction.

However, the government should keep a close eye on the impact the new policy will have on local civil servants, and be cautious that civil servants might appeal to court for their subsidy cuts, Wong warned.

(Shanghai Daily November 13, 2003)