John Tsang

John Tsang Chun-wah (Traditional Chinese: 曾俊華, born 1951), JP, is the current Financial Secretary (FS) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. His responsibility is to assist the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in overseeing policy formulation and implementation in financial, monetary, economic, trade and employment matters. He exercises control over the Exchange Fund, with the assistance of the Monetary Authority. He is a member of the Executive Council.

He is also in charge of the Government Budget. He is responsible under the Public Finance Ordinance for laying before the Legislative Council of Hong Kong each year the Government's estimates of revenue and expenditure. In his annual budget speech, he outlines the Government's vision and policies for sustainable economic development, and he presents budgetary proposals and moves the Appropriation Bill, which gives legal effect to the annual expenditure proposals contained in the Budget.

John Tsang was the Director of the Chief Executive's Office of Hong Kong from 2006 to June 2007.

John Tsang was the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology of Hong Kong. He was also the Chair of the Sixth Ministerial Conference (MC6) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held in Hong Kong from 13 to 18 December 2005.

John Tsang used to be in charge of the Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau (similar to a ministry) and was responsible to oversee planning and preparation of the MC6. He was also a key member of the High Level Committee to Oversee the Preparation of MC6, which is chaired by Rafael Hui, the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong.

John Tsang was appointed as the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology in August 2003. He was responsible for the policies of information technology, telecommunications, broadcasting, film services, innovation and technology, external commercial relations, industry and business support, intellectual property protection and inward investment promotion.

Prior to the present post, John Tsang was Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Planning and Lands) Secretary from 2002 to 2003 and had taken an active role in assisting Michael Suen in implementing the housing policy of Hong Kong. Before the Principal Officials Accountability System was introduced in July 2002, Tsang was Secretary for Planning and Lands.

John Tsang joined the Hong Kong civil service in November 1982 and had long experiences in handling finance and trade issues. He has served the former Finance Branch, Monetary Affairs Branch and the former Trade Department. From January 1987 to September 1991, he served as the first Administrative Assistant to the then Financial Secretary, Piers Jacobs (翟克誠). He was Assistant Director-General of Trade from September 1991 to January 1995; Private Secretary to the former Governor, Chris Pattern, from March 1995 to June 1997. After July 1997, John Tsang was appointed Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. In 1999 he returned from London and assumed the office of Commissioner of Customs and Excise.

John Tsang is a working partner of the Chief Executive Donald Tsang (not related). Before being the focal point of WTO protest recently, what he impressed Hong Kong citizens the most was his role of guardian to defend Donald Tsang on the Cyberport dispute in early 2005. His [http://www.citb.gov.hk/speech/pr27012005.htm open letter] to the public and his defense in a [http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr04-05/english/panels/itb/minutes/itb050202.pdf Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting of the Legislative Council] to shield the controversial Cyberport agreement between the SAR government and [http://www.pccw.com/eng/ PCCW] , brought him tons of criticism.

An alumnus of the La Salle College, John Tsang studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also holds a Master Degree in bilingual education from [http://www.lib.umb.edu/archives/bos-coll.html Boston State College] and a Master of Public Administration degree from [http://www.ksgcase.harvard.edu/ Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government] .

External links

* [http://www.citb.gov.hk/about/index.htm Commerce, Industry and Technology Bureau home page]