Government announces appointment and removal of Principal Officials
22.4.2020

The State Council, on the recommendation by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (April 22) approved the appointment of Mr Patrick Nip Tak-kuen as the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Caspar Tsui Ying-wai as the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai as the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Christopher Hui Ching-yu as the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury and Mr Alfred Sit Wing-hang as the Secretary for Innovation and Technology as well as the removal of Mr Joshua Law Chi-kong from the post of Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Lau Kong-wah from the post of Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Nip from the post of Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr James Henry Lau Jr from the post of Secretary for Financial Services and Treasury, Mr Nicholas W Yang from the post of Secretary for Innovation and Technology and Mr Tsang from the post of Director of Immigration. "Mr Law, Mr Lau Kong-wah, Mr James Lau and Mr Yang have served Hong Kong and the Government with integrity and dedication over the years. I would like to extend my sincere thanks for their valuable contributions," the Chief Executive said. On the appointment of Mr Nip, Mr Tsui, Mr Tsang, Mr Hui and Mr Sit, the Chief Executive said, "I have no doubt that they are competent for their new posts and would lead their respective policy bureaux to rise to the challenges in serving the community." Following are the biographical notes on Mr Nip, Mr Tsui, Mr Tsang, Mr Hui, Mr Sit, Mr Law, Mr Lau Kong-wah, Mr James Lau and Mr Yang: Mr Patrick Nip Tak-kuen ------------------------- Aged 55. Mr Nip joined the Government's Administrative Service in August 1986 and rose to Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2011. The career of Mr Nip has spanned a wide range of policy bureaux and departments including the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing and the former Health, Welfare and Food Bureau. He became Director of Social Welfare in August 2009; Director (Special Duties), Chief Secretary for Administration's Private Office in June 2013; Director of Information Services in February 2014; and Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health) in July 2016. He has been Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs since July 2017. Mr Caspar Tsui Ying-wai ------------------------- Aged 43. Before joining the Government, Mr Tsui worked in the banking sector. He was Political Assistant to the Secretary for Home Affairs from June 2008 to June 2012 and from September 2012 to June 2017 and has been Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare since August 2017. Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai -------------------------- Aged 56. Mr Tsang joined the Immigration Department as an Assistant Immigration Officer in April 1987. He was promoted to Chief Immigration Officer in December 2004, Assistant Principal Immigration Officer in June 2007 and Principal Immigration Officer in July 2009. He became Assistant Director of Immigration in July 2012 and Deputy Director of Immigration in July 2014. He has been Director of Immigration since April 2016. Mr Christopher Hui Ching-yu ------------------------------ Aged 43. Mr Hui was an Administrative Officer in the Government from 1999 to 2003 and served in the Economic Development Branch, the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing and the Home Affairs Department. Mr Hui worked in the banking sector after leaving the Government in 2003 and has worked for the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited for over 10 years. He has been Executive Director of the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council since 2019. Mr Alfred Sit Wing-hang ------------------------- Aged 58. Mr Sit joined the Government as Assistant Electrical and Mechanical Engineer in September 1984 and was promoted to Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer in August 2001, to Government Electrical and Mechanical Engineer in December 2007 and to Deputy Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services in September 2011. He has been Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services since October 2017. Mr Joshua Law Chi-kong -------------------------- Aged 63. Mr Law joined the Government's Administrative Service in September 1980 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A1 in September 2005. He served in various bureaux and departments. He was Permanent Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs and Permanent Secretary for Security and has been Secretary for the Civil Service since July 2017. Mr Lau Kong-wah ------------------- Aged 62. Mr Lau's political career began in 1985 when he was elected to be a District Councillor in Sha Tin, and he served the district for nearly 20 years. He was a member of the Legislative Council from 1997 to 2012 and a member of the Executive Council from 2008 to 2012. He has been Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs since December 2012 and has been Secretary for Home Affairs since July 2015. Mr James Henry Lau Jr ------------------------ Aged 70. Mr Lau joined the Hong Kong Government as an Administrative Officer in 1979. He joined the Hong Kong Monetary Authority in 1993. He was seconded to the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation in 2004 as Chief Executive Officer until he retired at the end of 2012. He has been Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury since January 2014 and has been Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury since July 2017. Mr Nicholas W Yang --------------------- Aged 65. Mr Yang pursued his career in the United States in his early years and took up various posts in several technology, venture capital and private equity firms afterwards. He worked as Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited from October 2003 to February 2010. He was Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from March 2010 to February 2015. He was appointed as Non-official Member of the Executive Council and Advisor to the Chief Executive on Innovation and Technology in March 2015. He has been Secretary for Innovation and Technology since November 2015. Ends/Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Issued at HKT 14:24 NNNN