Inland Revenue Department - Annual Report 2012-13

Human Resources

ORGANISATION CHART OF THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT
AS AT 31.3.2013

Organisation chart of the Inland Revenue Department as at 31.3.2013

ESTABLISHMENT

The Commissioner, the two Deputy Commissioners and the five Assistant Commissioners, together with the Departmental Secretary, form the top management of the Inland Revenue Department.

As at 31 March 2013, the Department had an establishment of 2,818 permanent posts (including 26 directorate posts) in the Commissioner’s Office and the 6 Units of the Department. Of the total, 1,867 posts were in departmental grades (namely Assessor, Taxation Officer and Tax Inspector grades), performing duties directly concerned with taxation. The remaining 951 posts were in common / general grades, providing administrative, information technology and clerical support services (Figure 35).

Members of the Top Management of the Inland Revenue Department (as at 31.3.2013)


Mr CHU Yam-yuen
Commissioner
Mr WONG Kuen-fai
Deputy Commissioner
(Operations)
Mr CHIU Kwok-kit
Deputy Commissioner
(Technical)
Mr TAM Tai-pang
Assistant Commissioner
(Headquarters Unit)
Ms LEE Kong-chun, Doris
Assistant Commissioner
(Unit 1)
Mrs LAI CHI Lai-ming
Assistant Commissioner
(Unit 2)
Ms TSE Yuk-yip
Assistant Commissioner
(Unit 3)
Ms CHAN Fung-kuen
Assistant Commissioner
(Unit 4)
Ms LEE Kit-yee, Fion
Departmental Secretary
Figure 35Staff establishment


 

Most of the professional officers serving in the Department were below the age of 45 (Figure 36). The ratio of male to female professional officers was 1:1.6.

Figure 36Age profile of professionals (on strength basis)
Age Group Male Female Total
Below 25 8 (3%) 17 (4%) 25 (3%)
25 to below 35 32 (12%) 112 (26%) 144 (21%)
35 to below 45 82 (30%) 133 (31%) 215 (31%)
45 to below 55 117 (43%) 139 (33%) 256 (37%)
55 and over 31 (12%) 25 (6%) 56 (8%)
Total 270 (100%) 426 (100%) 696 (100%)

STAFF PROMOTIONS AND TURNOVER

In 2012-13, a total of 54 departmental grade officers and 15 common / general grade officers were promoted. Among them, 2 were in directorate rank. 109 officers joined the Department, of which 88 were new appointees and 21 were officers transferred from other departments. A total of 129 officers (including 35 transferred to other departments) left the Department.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Staff are the Department’s valuable assets. We recognize the importance of providing opportunities of continuous learning to our staff to keep them abreast of the changing environment and to acquire the necessary knowledge to perform their duties. A variety of training courses in taxation, accounting, interpersonal skills, management, languages, etc. are offered to staff members. In 2012-13, our staff received training for a total of 9,557 man-days, which was equivalent to about 3.4 man-days per officer.

The major training activities during 2012-13 were as below:

Training Courses

Workshops

Continuing Professional Education

11 seminars were held by the Training Committee under the in-house Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Programme on the following subjects for professional officers:

Speakers for two of the seminars were staff members and others were experts from various fields. A total of 1,571 staff members attended these seminars. The video files of the CPE seminars were uploaded onto the Intranet and a total of 324 staff members had viewed these video files.

Seminars

In June 2012, the Department organised a joint seminar on “Current PRC Tax Policies and Update on Hong Kong Tax Treaties” with the State Administration of Taxation. Speakers included four officers of the State Administration of Taxation, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue and two Deputy Commissioners of Inland Revenue. The seminar was open to members of 12 professional bodies and four Chambers of Commerce. There was an attendance of 580 at the seminar.

Seminar on “Current PRC Tax Policies and Update on Hong Kong Tax Treaties” jointly organized with the State Administration of Taxation

Overseas and China Training

We offer our professional officers opportunities to participate in overseas training programmes to broaden their horizons and to acquire the necessary knowledge for new and complex global issues. In 2012-13, 52 officers went to China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, USA and Vietnam to attend training courses on different issues, 14 to universities in China for national studies courses and 3 to cities in China for thematic study programmes.

Continuous Learning

Besides the conventional classroom training, the Department employs various means to promote continuous self-learning. These include encouraging staff to take the web courses provided by the CLC Plus of CSTDI and providing financial support to officers to attend seminars and courses organised by academic and professional institutes. In 2012-13, 36 officers were sponsored by the Department to attend the relevant courses. Training materials and information are uploaded onto our Intranet for officers to study in their own time and at their own pace. This provides an effective way for the staff to acquire new knowledge and refresh what they have learnt.

Mentorship Scheme

A Mentorship Scheme for Assistant Assessors has been set up since 2008. Under this scheme, experienced officers (the mentors) will guide newly recruited Assistant Assessors (the mentees) to broaden their perception about the Department and help them integrate into the civil service. To enhance communication between mentors and mentees, an IRD’s blog is available for their dedicated use.

STAFF RELATIONS AND WELFARE

The Department values staff relations and welfare. Maintaining effective communication, and promoting co-operation and mutual trust between the management and staff at all levels are of utmost importance in enhancing the Department’s operational efficiency and productivity.

The Departmental Consultative Committee

The Departmental Consultative Committee provides a formal and effective platform for the management and staff to exchange views on matters of mutual concern such as recruitment, promotion, career posting, training, working environment, staff welfare, office security and safety. The Committee is chaired by the Deputy Commissioner (Operations) and composed of representatives from all staff unions / associations and staff groups in the Department.

The General Grades Consultative Committee

The General Grades Consultative Committee, chaired by the Departmental Secretary, allows staff members of the secretarial and clerical grades to discuss with the management issues of specific interest to their grades.

The “Meet-the-Staff Programme”

First launched in 1996-97, the “Meet-the-Staff Programme” enables the senior management of each Unit and staff of different sections / groups to exchange ideas face to face on departmental and service-wide issues in an open and relaxed manner. It serves to supplement the formal consultative channel and effectively enhances communication between staff and the management.

The IRD Staff Suggestions Scheme

In 2012-13, 6 out of 19 suggestions received under the IRD Staff Suggestions Scheme were granted cash awards and certificates of commendation in recognition of their contributions to enhancing operational efficiency and quality of services of the Department.

The Inland Revenue Department Newsletter

The Inland Revenue Department Newsletter

Another channel of communication between staff and the management is the quarterly Departmental Newsletter, which also serves to promote a sense of belonging in the Department. Service-related issues, staff welfare, environmental protection, occupational and safety matters are disseminated through articles contributed by staff and unit management. The Newsletter also provides a regular roundup on the recreational activities organised by the IRD Sports Association as well as volunteer activities organised by the IRD Volunteer Team.

The Inland Revenue General Staff Welfare Fund

Established in 1972, the Inland Revenue General Staff Welfare Fund operates on funds donated by staff on a voluntary basis. The purpose of the Fund is to provide within a short time small amount of interest free financial assistance, as an additional and quick emergency relief, to help staff in unexpected financial hardship. The Fund is managed by a Governing Committee, chaired by the Departmental Secretary and composed of staff representatives from the Department Consultative Committee and the IRD Sports Association. The Claims Sub-committee, formed under the Governing Committee, considers and approves applications for financial assistance made by staff.

Commissioner's Commendation Letter Scheme

In 2012-13, 50 officers, who have provided outstanding service for a long period of time, were awarded the Commissioner’s Commendation Letter in recognition of their exemplary performance. The presentation ceremony was held in March 2013.

Commissioner’s Commendation Letter presentation ceremony

Secretary for the Civil Service Commendation Award 2012

The Secretary for the Civil Service’s Commendation Awards presentation ceremony 2012

In 2012, a Senior Assessor and an Assistant Taxation Officer were awarded the Secretary for the Civil Service’s Commendation in recognition of their exceptionally meritorious and consistently outstanding performance. The presentation ceremony was held in November 2012.

The Long and Meritorious Service Travel Award Scheme

In 2012-13, 27 officers with long and meritorious service were granted awards of overseas travel under the Long and Meritorious Service Travel Award Scheme.

THE IRD SPORTS ASSOCIATION

The IRD Sports Association tennis competition

The Sports Association plays a very important role in fostering staff relationship and sense of belonging. In 2012-13, the Association organised a wide range of activities to enrich the intellectual, social and athletic interests of its members. Besides thematic talks, interest classes, workshops, outings, sports competitions and the annual dinner, the Association organized two cross-border trips to the Mainland. All these activities were well received by colleagues and their family members.

The IRD Volunteer Team under the auspices of the Association is an active participant in numerous charitable and community works, extending love and care to the less privileged in the society. Throughout the year, 265 colleagues had participated in various kinds of voluntary services, recording a total of 1,803 service hours. In recognition of our continuous efforts in caring the community, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service awarded the “5 Years Plus Caring Organisation Logo” to the Department. This marks the eighth consecutive year in which the Department was granted the award.

On the charity front, the Association actively took part in various fund-raising activities, like “Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Day”, “ORBIS Pin Campaign”, and “Lifeline Express Charity Run/ Walk”. With generous support by our colleagues, the Department raised the highest amount of fund among the participating government departments in the “MSF Day 2012” campaign, and won the championship of the “Top Five Fundraising Organisations” and “Top Five Organisations with the Most Participants” in the “ORBIS World Sight Day 2012” campaign.

Committee members of the IRD Sports Association