# Financial Secretary (Hong Kong)

The Financial Secretary is the title held by the Hong Kong government minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters (“Department of Finance” per Article 60 of the Basic Law). The position is among the three most senior Principal Officials of the Government, second only to the Chief Secretary in the order of precedence (but not subordinate to the CS). Together with other secretaries, the Financial Secretary is accountable to the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive (the Governor before the 1997 handover) for his actions in supervising the formulation and implementation of financial and economic policies.
The position evolved out of the office of the Colonial Treasurer before 1940. The Financial Secretary is a member of the Executive Council, and gives advice to the Chief Executive in that capacity. He is also responsible for delivering the annual budget to the Legislative Council. To date, it is the only office among the three highest Principal Officials of the Government (Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary, and Secretary for Justice) not to have been occupied by a woman.
The incumbent Financial Secretary is Paul Chan Mo-po.

## List of secretaries
### Secretaries and treasurers to the Superintendent, 1842–1844

* Edward Elmslie, 1842–1843
* Charles Edward Stewart, 1843–1844

### Colonial treasurers, 1844–1937

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Governor |
| 1 | Montgomery Martin | 31 May 1844 | 8 July 1845 | Sir John Francis Davis (1843–1844) |
| 2 | William Thomas Mercer 孖沙 | 1 January 1848 | 31 March 1854 | Sir John Francis Davis (1843–1844) |
| 2 | William Thomas Mercer 孖沙 | 1 January 1848 | 31 March 1854 | Sir George Bonham (1844–1854) |
| 3 | Robert Rienaecker | 1854 | 1856 | Sir John Bowring (1844–1859) |
| 4 | Frederick Forth | 15 May 1857 | 23 February 1871 | Sir John Bowring (1844–1859) |
| 4 | Frederick Forth | 15 May 1857 | 23 February 1871 | Sir Hercules Robinson (1859–1865) |
| 4 | Frederick Forth | 15 May 1857 | 23 February 1871 | Sir Richard MacDonnell (1865–1872) |
| 5 | Sir Cecil Clementi Smith | 13 November 1874 | 29 April 1878 | Sir Richard MacDonnell (1865–1872) |
| 5 | Sir Cecil Clementi Smith | 13 November 1874 | 29 April 1878 | Sir Arthur Kennedy (1872–1877) |
| 6 | Sir James Russell 羅素 | 26 February 1880 | 24 March 1883 | Sir Arthur Kennedy (1872–1877) |
| 6 | Sir James Russell 羅素 | 26 February 1880 | 24 March 1883 | Sir John Pope Hennessy (1877–1882) |
| 7 | Alfred Lister 理斯特 | 26 May 1883 | 16 June 1890 | Sir George Bowen (1883–1885) |
| 7 | Alfred Lister 理斯特 | 26 May 1883 | 16 June 1890 | Sir William Des Voeux (1887–1891) |
| 8 | N. G. Mitchell-Innes 密徹爾-因斯 | 15 October 1891 | 26 February 1895 | Sir William Robinson (1891–1898) |
| 9 | Thomas Sercombe Smith 史密夫 | 3 May 1897 | 28 February 1898 | Sir William Robinson (1891–1898) |
| 10 | A. MacDonald Thomson 譚臣 | 8 February 1899 | 10 December 1918 | Sir Henry Arthur Blake (1898–1903) |
| 10 | A. MacDonald Thomson 譚臣 | 8 February 1899 | 10 December 1918 | Sir Matthew Nathan (1903–1907) |
| 10 | A. MacDonald Thomson 譚臣 | 8 February 1899 | 10 December 1918 | Sir Frederick Lugard (1907–1912) |
| 10 | A. MacDonald Thomson 譚臣 | 8 February 1899 | 10 December 1918 | Sir Francis Henry May (1912–1918) |
| 11 | Charles Messer 馬斯德 | 31 December 1918 | 2 April 1931 | Sir Reginald Stubbs (1919–1925) |
| 11 | Charles Messer 馬斯德 | 31 December 1918 | 2 April 1931 | Sir Cecil Clementi (1925–1930) |
| 11 | Charles Messer 馬斯德 | 31 December 1918 | 2 April 1931 | Sir William Peel (1930–1935) |
| 12 | Edwin Taylor 戴萊 | 2 July 1931 | 10 March 1937 | Sir William Peel (1930–1935) |
| 12 | Edwin Taylor 戴萊 | 2 July 1931 | 10 March 1937 | Sir Andrew Caldecott (1935–1937) |

### Financial secretaries, 1937–1941

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Governor |
| 1 | Sir Sydney Caine 金錫儀 | 9 March 1938 | 16 November 1939 | 1 year, 252 days | Sir Geoffry Northcote (1937–1941) |
| 2 | Henry Butters 畢打士 | 20 June 1940 | 25 December 1941 | 1 year, 188 days | Sir Geoffry Northcote (1937–1941) |
| 2 | Henry Butters 畢打士 | 20 June 1940 | 25 December 1941 | 1 year, 188 days | Mark Aitchison Young (1941) |

### Financial secretaries, 1946–1997

| № | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Governor |
| 3 | Sir Geoffrey Follows 霍勞士 | 1 May 1946 | 2 May 1951 | 5 years, 1 day | Sir Mark Aitchison Young (1946–1947) |
| 3 | Sir Geoffrey Follows 霍勞士 | 1 May 1946 | 2 May 1951 | 5 years, 1 day | Sir Alexander Grantham (1947–1957) |
| 4 | Arthur Grenfell Clarke 岐樂嘉 | 20 February 1952 | 9 April 1961 | 9 years, 49 days | Sir Alexander Grantham (1947–1957) |
| 4 | Arthur Grenfell Clarke 岐樂嘉 | 20 February 1952 | 9 April 1961 | 9 years, 49 days | Sir Robert Brown Black (1958–1964) |
| 5 | Sir John Cowperthwaite 郭伯偉 | 17 April 1961 | 30 June 1971 | 10 years, 75 days | Sir Robert Brown Black (1958–1964) |
| 5 | Sir John Cowperthwaite 郭伯偉 | 17 April 1961 | 30 June 1971 | 10 years, 75 days | Sir David Trench (1964–1971) |
| 6 | Sir Philip Haddon-Cave 夏鼎基 | 1 July 1971 | 31 May 1981 | 9 years, 335 days | Sir David Trench (1964–1971) |
| 6 | Sir Philip Haddon-Cave 夏鼎基 | 1 July 1971 | 31 May 1981 | 9 years, 335 days | Sir Murray MacLehose (1971–1982) |
| 7 | Sir John Henry Bremridge 彭勵治 | 1 June 1981 | 31 May 1986 | 5 years, 0 days | Sir Murray MacLehose (1971–1982) |
| 7 | Sir John Henry Bremridge 彭勵治 | 1 June 1981 | 31 May 1986 | 5 years, 0 days | Sir Edward Youde (1982–1986) |
| 8 | Sir Piers Jacobs 翟克誠 | 1 June 1986 | 11 August 1991 | 5 years, 72 days | Sir Edward Youde (1982–1986) |
| 8 | Sir Piers Jacobs 翟克誠 | 1 June 1986 | 11 August 1991 | 5 years, 72 days | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 9 | Sir Hamish Macleod 麥高樂 | 12 August 1991 | 31 August 1995 | 4 years, 20 days | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 9 | Sir Hamish Macleod 麥高樂 | 12 August 1991 | 31 August 1995 | 4 years, 20 days | Chris Patten (1992–1997) |
| 10 | Sir Donald Tsang 曾蔭權 | 1 September 1995 | 30 June 1997 | 1 year, 303 days | Chris Patten (1992–1997) |

### Financial secretaries, 1997–present

Political party: Nonpartisan
| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Chief Executive | Term |
| 1 | Donald Tsang Yam-kuen 曾蔭權 | 1 July 1997 | 30 April 2001 | 3 years, 304 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 1 |
| 2 | Antony Leung Kam-chung 梁錦松 | 1 May 2001 | 16 July 2003 | 2 years, 77 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 1 |
| 2 | Antony Leung Kam-chung 梁錦松 | 1 May 2001 | 16 July 2003 | 2 years, 77 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 2 |
| 3 | Henry Tang Ying-yen 唐英年 | 4 August 2003 | 30 June 2007 | 3 years, 349 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 2 |
| 3 | Henry Tang Ying-yen 唐英年 | 4 August 2003 | 30 June 2007 | 3 years, 349 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 2 |
| 4 | John Tsang Chun-wah 曾俊華 | 1 July 2007 | 16 January 2017 | 9 years, 200 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 3 |
| 4 | John Tsang Chun-wah 曾俊華 | 1 July 2007 | 16 January 2017 | 9 years, 200 days | Leung Chun-ying (2012–2017) | 4 |
| 5 | Paul Chan Mo-po 陳茂波 | 16 January 2017 | Incumbent | 8 years, 43 days | Leung Chun-ying (2012–2017) | 4 |
| 5 | Paul Chan Mo-po 陳茂波 | 16 January 2017 | Incumbent | 8 years, 43 days | Carrie Lam (2017–2022) | 5 |
| 5 | Paul Chan Mo-po 陳茂波 | 16 January 2017 | Incumbent | 8 years, 43 days | John Lee (2022–present) | 6 |

## Residence

The Financial Secretary's residence is on 45 Shouson Hill Road in Deep Water Bay. It is listed as a grade 2 building. Described as a two-story neo-Georgian style residence built in 1935 and originally owned by Sir Shouson Chow as his own residence. The first Financial Secretary who moved into the building was Sir Charles Geoffrey Shield Follows.