Economic Performance

Our Role in the Economy

The economic dimension of our sustainability concerns our role as a responsible government department in the use of public fund and in the context of the Hong Kong economy, especially under the fiscal deficit. We have made concerted efforts to reduce expenditure. In 2004/05, we successfully reduced the expenditure to HK$1422.2 million, down 2.1% from the previous financial year. The expenditure breakdown and financial provision listed below show details of the flow of public funds, government building projects and advisory services. Comprehensive coverage of our economic performance is included in our Controlling Officer’s Report which is available from the Estimates in the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region website at www.budget.gov.hk.

Departmental Expenditure 2004-2005

	2004-2005 Revised ($ million)
Personal salaries and allowances	872.64
Personnel related expenses	0.81
Departmental expenses	68.69
Other charges	480.06
Total	1422.2

Financial Provision by Programme 2004-05 (HK$ million)

Staff Number by Programme

Our male to female staff ratio is 1:0.3 as at end of 2004.

Changes in Staff Size of Department

	No. of Staff as at March 31 each year
2003	2037
2004	1981
2005	1887

Sustainability Criteria for Financial Commitments

In our legislative filings for public money, we seek to demonstrate the sustainability criteria in our financial commitments to the Legislative Council. These criteria include the possible provision of public consultation before commencement of public works, community issues, and environmental implications such as the implementation of a waste management plan for construction and demolition waste, mitigating measures in the event of environmental impacts, as well as the potential for job creation.

For the year 2004, we have issued a total of 21 consultancies and created 43 consultancy positions. The actual expenditure on building projects undertaken or monitored by the department was $12.99 billion, with a further expenditure of $2.42 billion on routine maintenance and minor alteration works.

Long-term Targets Achievement

Long-term Targets Achievement - Economic Dimension

Objectives	Targets	Measurement	Achievement in 2004
Improve quality of project delivery	Ensure timely delivery of at least 80% of capital works projects	Measured in terms of % of projects that have been completed on schedule	95.5% (42 out of 44 projects) of capital works projects completed on time.
	Ensure the expenditure on Public Works Programme (PWP) does not exceed 5% underspending and 10% overspending of the corresponding provisions in the Printed Estimates.	Measured if the prescribed % of under-spending or over-spending is met	Achieved. Actual cumulative expenditure for PWP met the target.
	Achieve Satisfied level or above on the overall performance in Client Satisfaction Survey for 90% of completed projects	Measured in terms of % of projects	100% (12 out of 12) projects achieved Satisfied Level
	Harness the resources of the private sector through outsourcing of public projects	Measured in terms of % value of capital works outsourced to private sector	62.4% value of capital works outsourced, compared with 59% last year