In this file photo, Patrick Nip Tak-kuen, secretary for the civil service, speaks at a press conference at the Central Government Office, in Hong Kong, on April 22, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

The oath-taking and signing of a declaration by civil servants will be done in one go, Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference on the Policy Address initiatives, Nip said it is a basic requirement for all civil servants to take an oath or make a declaration that they will uphold the Basic Law and bear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

The Civil Service Bureau issued a circular to all departments in October requiring civil servants who joined the government from July 1 to take an oath or make a declaration that they will uphold the Basic Law, bear allegiance to the Hong Kong SAR and be responsible to the government

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“As regards oath-taking for serving civil servants, we listened to the views of the civil service unions and organizations and also conducted some studies,” Nip said.

“We have come to the view that basically the act of confirming in writing the upholding of the Basic Law and pledging allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a basic requirement for civil servants. All civil servants, serving and those newly recruited, should do so,” he said.

“There is no particular reason that we have to do it by phases if logistically we can handle it. So we plan to do it in one go,” he added.

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Nip said the the majority of the civil servants will do it by signing a declaration, confirming in writing their promise to uphold the Basic Law and pledging allegiance to the HKSAR. 

“We have already done that for those civil servants who joined the Government after July 1 this year,” Nip said.

He added that the bureau will finalize the preparatory work before meeting the major civil service organizations and will promulgate the detailed arrangements.

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The Civil Service Bureau (CSB) issued a circular to all departments in October requiring civil servants who joined the government from July 1 to take an oath or make a declaration that they will uphold the Basic Law, bear allegiance to the Hong Kong SAR and be responsible to the government.

The CSB said the requirement will further safeguard, reinforce and promote the core values that should be upheld by civil servants, and ensure the effective governance of the HKSAR government.