### Public Finance Ordinance 《公共財政條例》

17C. Collection of fees
(1) Where, for the purposes of any Ordinance, the law of a jurisdiction other than Hong Kong or any treaty, the signature of the Chief Executive or of any public officer is affixed to any certificate, authorization, consent, licence, permit or exemption, or any alteration, transfer or renewal thereof, addition thereto or endorsement thereon, or any copy of the same, and no fee for such signature is prescribed by law, there shall be payable for such signature such fee as the Financial Secretary may prescribe by notice in the Gazette. (Amended 42 of 1983 s. 2; 23 of 1998 s. 2; 68 of 1999 s. 3)
(2) Where any Ordinance requires or authorizes the issue of any document by a public officer, such public officer may, subject to any directions of the Chief Executive, issue a duplicate of such document, upon payment of such fee as may be prescribed by law or as the Financial Secretary may prescribe by notice in the Gazette if no fee is prescribed by law. (Amended 68 of 1999 s. 3)
(3) Where any Ordinance requires or authorizes any alteration, transfer, or endorsement of or addition to any certificate, authorization, consent, licence, permit or exemption by a public officer, such fee shall be payable therefor as may be prescribed by law or as the Financial Secretary may prescribe by notice in the Gazette if no fee is prescribed by law.
(4) Where an extract of any document, book, record or instrument may be properly certified by a public officer as a true extract of such document, book, record or instrument, such fee shall be payable for the certifying of the extract by such officer as may be prescribed by law or as the Financial Secretary may prescribe by notice in the Gazette if no fee is prescribed by law.
(5) (Repealed 78 of 1999 s. 7)(Amended 69 of 1973 s. 4)Editorial Note:
This provision previously appeared in s. 97 of Cap. 1. By virtue of 89 of 1993 s. 27, it was re-enacted as s. 17C of this Ordinance.

18. Payment of public moneys
No public officer shall make any payment of public moneys unless he is authorized to do so—
(a) by warrant issued under section 19, 20, 21, 22 or 29 or by regulations, directions or instructions made or given under this Ordinance; or
(b) by any other enactment.

### Public Finance Ordinance 《公共財政條例》

18A. Award of compensation
(1) The Legislative Council may by resolution award compensation, by way of either a single payment or periodical payments, from the general revenue to any person injured in the execution of a moral or legal duty to assist in the prevention of or resistance to crime or any offence, or to the dependants of a person so injured who dies as a result of such injury. (Amended L.N. 54 of 1989; 68 of 1999 s. 3)
(2) Any award made under this section may be made subject to such conditions as may be specified in such resolution and may at any time be varied or revoked by the Legislative Council by resolution.
(3) No award made under this section shall be assignable or transferable or liable to be attached, sequestered or levied upon for or in respect of any debt or claim whatsoever other than a debt due to the Government.

Editorial Note:
This provision previously appeared in s. 95 of Cap. 1. By virtue of 89 of 1993 s. 27, it was re-enacted as s. 18A of this Ordinance.

19. Payment of certain moneys to be authorized by warrant
(1) Upon the coming into operation of an Appropriation Ordinance, the Financial Secretary shall authorize the Director of Accounting Services by general warrant under his hand to pay from the general revenue such sums as may be required to meet expenditure in accordance with that Ordinance.
(2) Upon the making by the Legislative Council of a resolution under section 7, the Financial Secretary shall authorize the Director of Accounting Services by vote on account warrant under his hand to pay from the general revenue such sums as may be required to meet expenditure in accordance with the resolution.
(3) Upon the making of a change to the approved estimates of expenditure in accordance with section 8, the Financial Secretary shall authorize the Director of Accounting Services by supplementary warrant under his hand to pay from the general revenue, in accordance with the change made, such sums as may be required to meet expenditure from any head in excess of the sum appropriated by the Appropriation Ordinance for that head.

20. Recoverable advances
Subject to the provisions of any enactment, the Financial Secretary may, by advances warrant under his hand, authorize the Director of Accounting Services to pay from public moneys such sums as may be necessary for the purpose of making advances which are recoverable and the amount recovered in each case shall be set off against the sum advanced.

### Public Finance Ordinance 《公共財政條例》

21. Advances to meet urgent need for payment
(1) Subject to this section, where the Financial Secretary is satisfied that due to exceptional circumstances an urgent need has arisen for payment—
(a) to meet expenditure—
(i) for which no provision or insufficient provision is shown in the approved estimates of expenditure, whether or not such expenditure has been improperly incurred; or
(ii) not being expenditure referred to in sub-paragraph (i), which appears to the Financial Secretary to have been improperly incurred; and
(b) which cannot be deferred without detriment to the public interest,
he may by contingencies warrant under his hand authorize the Director of Accounting Services to pay from public moneys an advance of moneys to meet that need.
(2) Without prejudice to section 31, a contingencies warrant shall cease to have effect if—
(a) being a warrant issued in respect of expenditure referred to in subsection (1)(a)(i), the necessary change is made to the approved estimates of expenditure; or
(b) being a warrant issued in respect of expenditure referred to in subsection (1)(a)(ii), such expenditure is authorized by the Financial Secretary.
(3) Where under subsection (2) a contingencies warrant ceases to have effect the advance to which it relates shall be deemed to have been made for the purpose of a charge on the general revenue and shall be accounted for accordingly.
(4) A contingencies warrant shall specify a controlling officer who shall be personally responsible for the advance to which such warrant relates, unless such advance is charged on the general revenue in accordance with this Ordinance.