Human Resources


Organisation Chart of Inland Revenue Department as at 31.3.2007



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Establishment

The Commissioner, the two Deputy Commissioners and the five Assistant Commissioners form the top management of the Department.

As at 31 March 2007, the Department had an establishment of 2,848 permanent posts (including 25 posts for directorate officers) in the Commissioner's Office and 6 Units. Of the total, 1,804 posts were for departmental grades officers (namely Assessors, Taxation Officers and Tax Inspectors), who are required to perform duties directly concerned with taxation. The remaining 1,044 posts were for common/general grades officers, who provide supporting administrative, information technology and clerical services (Figure 39).


Most of the professional officers serving in the Department were below the age of 45 (Figure 40). The ratio of male to female professional officers was 1:1.32.

Figure 39 Staff Establishment
This is a bar-chart showing staff establishment by rank for 2003-04 to 2006-07. The figures are as follows: In 2003-04, the staff establishment is 3,079, including 722 Assessors (Professional), 1,139 Taxation Officers, 121 Tax Inspectors and 1,097 Common/general grade officers, In 2004-05, the staff establishment is 2,908, including 677 Assessors (Professional), 1,043 Taxation Officers, 117 Tax Inspectors and 1,071 Common/general grade officers, In 2005-06, the staff establishment is 2,874, including 679 Assessors (Professional), 1,031 Taxation Officers, 111 Tax Inspectors and 1,053 Common/general grade officers, In 2006-07, the staff establishment is 2,848, including 679 Assessors (Professional), 1,016 Taxation Officers, 109 Tax Inspectors and 1,044 Common/general grade officers.

Figure 40 Age Profile of Professionals (on Strength Basis)
Age Group
Male
Female
Total
Below 25
0
(0%)
2
(1%)
2
(0%)
25 to below 35
37
(13%)
78
(21%)
115
(18%)
35 to below 45
111
(41%)
152
(42%)
263
(41%)
45 to below 55
111
(41%)
122
(34%)
233
(37%)
55 and over
15
(5%)
8
(2%)
23
(4%)
Total
274(100%)
(100%)
362
(100%)
636
(100%)


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Staff Promotions and Turnover

In 2006-07, a total of 44 departmental grades officers (including 3 officers promoted to directorate posts and 41 to non-directorate posts) and 3 general grades officers were promoted. 38 officers were transferred to the Department and 77 officers left the Department.

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Training and Development

Staff training and development continued at a high level in 2006-07. Officers are offered training courses covering a wide range of subjects, including professional taxation and accounting knowledge, interpersonal skills, languages, etc. In 2006-07, a total of 11,241 man-days were undertaken by staff which is equivalent to about 3.9 man-days per staff. Highlights of the training programmes are:
  • Induction courses for all grades of staff upon their joining the Department

  • Induction courses and on-the-job training provided by respective units to new officers and transferees

  • Two-part taxation law and practice course with formal examinations for the newly appointed assistant assessors

  • Briefing sessions held upon implementation of legislative amendments or launch of new services

  • Workshops on "Achieving Service Excellence" for frontline staff

  • Workshops on "Effective English Writing Skills" for assessing officers and tax inspectors

  • Workshops on "Performance Management" for newly promoted assessors

  • Workshops on "Performance Appraisal Writing and Interview" for newly promoted taxation officers

  • Conversation tutorials, elementary and intermediate courses on Putonghua for staff of different ranks

  • Computer applications studies available for all staff

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Continuing Professional Education

The in-house Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programme maintained its popularity and high attendances in the year. Eleven sessions were held under the CPE Programme, covering a wide range of subjects including Double Taxation Arrangement, customer services, Hong Kong Accounting Standards, significant tax cases and complex tax issues. Speakers for six of the seminars were staff members and the other speakers were experts from various fields. A total of 2,337 staff attended these 11 seminars. The video files of the CPE seminars were uploaded onto the Intranet so that all officers can view these seminars at their convenient time.

To familiarise the professional officers with the "Arrangement between the Mainland and the Hong Kong SAR for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income" signed between the Mainland and Hong Kong in August 2006, the Training Committee organised a large-scale seminar on this topic at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre under the CPE Programme in January 2007. The seminar was presented by the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner (Technical) and the two Assistant Commissioners from Unit 1 and Unit 2. It attracted an attendance of 570 professional officers which represented over 80% of the professional officers working in the department.


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Overseas and China Training

The Department continues to put emphasis on the international dimension of our tax administration to enable our professional officers to have necessary knowledge to deal with the increasing number of new global issues.

During 2006-07, 16 professional officers attended overseas courses in Korea, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei and the United States of America. In addition, 2 professional officers attended a course at Tsinghua University and the Foreign Affairs Studies Programme in Beijing, and 1 senior system manager attended the Yantian International Container Terminals and Shenzhen Metro Study Visit in Shenzhen.


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Other Training

The Department encourages and sponsors officers to attend seminars and courses organised by academic and professional institutes. During 2006-07, 183 officers were sponsored by the Department to attend such seminars. Officers also attended various courses on English language, Chinese writing skills, human resources development, national studies, etc. organised by the Civil Service Training and Development Institute (CSTDI).

In addition to classroom training, the Department also encourages staff to take the web courses provided by CLC Plus of CSTDI, to promote the culture of continuous self-learning among our colleagues. Training materials and information were uploaded onto our Intranet for officers to study at their own time and pace. This provides an effective way for the staff to acquire new knowledge and review what they have learnt.


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Staff Relations and Welfare
To focus the Department's efforts on staff relations and welfare with an ultimate goal to providing quality service to the public, the importance of effective communication with staff at different levels cannot be too greatly stressed.


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The Departmental Consultative Committee (DCC)

The Committee is chaired by the Deputy Commissioner (Operations) and comprises representatives from all staff unions/associations and staff groups in the Department. In addition to making contacts and distributing correspondence for sharing of views on ad hoc issues, the Committee holds its meetings regularly where staff and management exchange their views on a wide range of topics of mutual concern. Staff representatives are free to raise their subjects for discussion and management is open and ready to share its views on different major issues including recruitment, promotion, career posting, training, working environment, staff welfare and service-wide matters. The Committee provides a formal and effective forum for the staff and management to enhance mutual communication thereby providing better understanding and co-operation. Taking the Department's switching to a five-day week operation as an example, the success of the initial implementation and the subsequent review of the new arrangements was largely attributable to the frequent and thorough deliberations of the Committee.


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The General Grades Consultative Committee (GGCC)

The Committee, chaired by the Departmental Secretary, was first set up in 1999 to enhance mutual communication and sharing of views between the management and the clerical and secretarial grades staff, who form a significant part of the Department's establishment. Regular meetings are held to discuss a variety of issues, including those which are unique to the general grades and facilitate effective implementation of management initiatives. The Committee serves as a platform for the general grades staff to voice out their concerns and the management to collect useful feedback.


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The "Meet-the-Staff Programme"

First launched in 1996-97, this Programme enables the senior management of each Unit and staff of different groups to meet regularly for exchanging views on departmental and service-wide issues in an open and relaxed manner. It serves to supplement the formal consultative channel and further enhances communication between the staff and management.


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The IRD Staff Suggestion Scheme

During 2006-07, 22 suggestions were received with 5 of the proponents concerned granted different levels of cash awards and certificates of commendation in recognition of their contributions and efforts. The accepted suggestions helped to bring about financial savings and improvement in work efficiency in the Department and were all implemented with rewarding results.


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The Inland Revenue Department Newsletter

The departmental newsletter is published quarterly to serve as another channel of communication between the staff and management and to promote a sense of belonging in the Department. It disseminates both service-related matters and recreational activities through articles and contributions from staff and unit management. It also provides a quarterly round-up of the recreational activities organised by the Department's Sports Association.


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The Inland Revenue General Staff Welfare Fund (IRGSWF)

The Inland Revenue General Staff Welfare Fund was established voluntarily by a group of staff in 1972. It operates on funds donated by staff on a voluntary basis. With the endorsement of the Claims Sub-committee, which is formed to consider applications for financial assistance, small amounts of interest-free loans and grants can be provided as an additional source of relief to help staff with unexpected financial difficulties.


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Commissioner's Commendation Letters Scheme

In 2006-07, 57 officers who had provided outstanding service for a reasonably long period of time were awarded the Commissioner's Commendation Letter in recognition of their exemplary performance in the Civil Service. The presentation ceremony was held in March 2007.


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SCS's Commendation Award 2006

In 2006, one officer was awarded the SCS's Commendation in recognition of her consistently outstanding service and exemplary performance for 5 consecutive years. The presentation ceremony was held in November 2006.


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The Long and Meritorious Service Travel Awards Scheme

In 2006-07, 38 officers with long and meritorious service were granted awards of overseas travel, together with their spouses, under the Long and Meritorious Service Travel Award Scheme.


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The IRD Sports Association

Throughout the year, the IRD Sports Association continued to provide our members with quality as well as enjoyable and recreational activities, including sports competitions, sports courses, thematic talk, day tours, lunchtime fitness series and lunchtime health talk, interest classes and workshops.

With 70% of IRD staff as members, the Association has strived to achieve and successfully achieved its goal of promoting the intellectual, social and athletic interests of our colleagues. In order to better serve our members, Life membership for our retiring members was introduced in this year. Members retiring can choose for admission as a life membership upon payment of a one-off membership subscription. The new membership system saves retirees of the annual membership renewal procedures. The retired members can continue to support, participate and enjoy the activities organised by the Association.

The Association is strongly committed not just to its members but also the community. During the year 2006-07, the Association and the IRD Volunteer Team have continued to actively participate in various fund raising activities for Hong Kong Rehabilitation Power, Children's Cancer Foundation and The Hong Kong Society for the Blind.

This year, the Department is awarded again the Caring Organisation Logo for 2006-07 by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service to in recognition of the care and volunteering spirit demonstrated by our colleagues.