The Government announced today (February 19) the appointments to the Minimum Wage Commission (MWC) for a two-year term with effect from March 1, 2019.
The Chief Executive has re-appointed Ms Priscilla Wong Pui-sze as chairperson of the MWC and appointed its 12 members from the labour sector, the business sector, academia and the Government. The chairperson and the nine non-official members are appointed on an ad personam basis.
Among the non-official members, Mr Lau Chin-shek, Professor Lau Sau-him, Professor Terry Lum Yat-sang and Mrs Katherine Ngan Ng Yu-ying are serving members, while Mr Chan Wing-on, Ms Juan Leung Chung-yan, Dr Billy Mak Sui-choi, Ms Ng Wai-yee and Ms Malina Ngai Man-lin are newly appointed.
The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, welcomed the appointments. He said, "The MWC assumes the important mission of reviewing and recommending the Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) rate. The chairperson and members of the MWC for the new term possess a good wealth of knowledge and abundant experience in various fields. I am confident that the MWC will continue to discharge its statutory function effectively."
Dr Law also thanked the five outgoing members, Mr Bankee Kwan Pak-hoo, Professor Leung Siu-fai, Ms Li Fung-ying, Mr Simon Wong Kit-lung and Mr Kingsley Wong Kwok, for their excellent support and sterling contributions to the MWC.
Established under the Minimum Wage Ordinance, the main function of the MWC is to report to the Chief Executive in Council its recommendations about the SMW rate. In performing its function, the MWC must have regard to the need to maintain an appropriate balance between the objectives of forestalling excessively low wages and minimising the loss of low-paid jobs, and the need to sustain Hong Kong's economic growth and competitiveness.
The membership of the MWC for the next term is as follows:
Chairperson
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Ms Priscilla Wong Pui-sze
Non-official Members
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Mr Lau Chin-shek
Professor Lau Sau-him
Professor Terry Lum Yat-sang
Mrs Katherine Ngan Ng Yu-ying
Mr Chan Wing-on (newly appointed)
Ms Juan Leung Chung-yan (newly appointed)
Dr Billy Mak Sui-choi (newly appointed)
Ms Ng Wai-yee (newly appointed)
Ms Malina Ngai Man-lin (newly appointed)
Members who are public officers
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Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
(Commerce, Industry and Tourism)
Government Economist