Statement of the Treasury Branch's Policies and Practices in relation to Personal Data Privacy
Privacy Policy
The Treasury Branch of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau respects personal data privacy and is committed to fully implementing and complying with the Data Protection Principles and all relevant provisions of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (the Ordinance).
Kinds of Personal Data Held
The Treasury Branch holds the following types of personal data -
- Employment-related Personal Data on serving officers and former employees - include records of personal and family particulars, education and qualifications, employment history, salary and allowances, terms and conditions of service, housing, medical records, leave and passages, training, investments, outside employment, appraisal reports, promotion board assessments, conduct and discipline and retirement and pension
- Tax appellants and tax representatives - include the personal particulars of appellants or their representatives who have lodged appeals under the Inland Revenue Ordinance; tax information and documents supplied by these data subjects to the Board of Review (Inland Revenue) in connection with their appeals and records of the Board's deliberations on the appeals.
- Appointment to Boards and Committees - include the personal particulars of candidates nominated for appointment/re-appointment to the Board of Review (Inland Revenue) and the Board of Inland Revenue provided by the nominating parties and nominees, and assessments on the suitability of the candidates for appointment/re-appointment.
- Consultants/Project Team Members - include personal particulars and curricula vitae (CV) of individual persons employed by companies bidding for consultancy/IT projects of the Branch, which form part of the companies' proposals to the Branch to facilitate selection of suitable consultants/vendors for carrying out the services.
- Other records - administration records and personal particulars of members of the public who make requests under the Code on Access to Information and the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, make enquiries or complaints or put forward their views and comments, to the Branch.
Main Purposes of Personal Data Keeping by the Treasury Branch
- Personal data of current or former employees are held for a range of employment-related purposes including appointments, personnel checking, postings and transfers, grant of allowances and employment benefits, incremental credit, training and career development, promotion, discipline, continuation in or removal from office, pensions and provision of testimonials. Some personal particulars may be published in Government publications.
- Personal data of tax appellants and tax representatives are held to facilitate the deliberation of appeals by the Board of Review (Inland Revenue).
- Personal data of candidates for appointment to the Board of Review (Inland Revenue) and the Board of Inland Revenue are held to facilitate appointments to these Boards.
- Personal data of individual persons employed by companies bidding for consultancy/IT projects of the Branch are held to facilitate the award of consultancies / vendors for carrying out the services.
- Other records are kept for various purposes which vary according to the nature of the record, such as dealing with enquiries or complaints or collecting views and comments from members of the public.
Practices
The Principal Executive Officer (G) is the Personal Data Controlling Officer responsible for monitoring and supervising compliance with the Ordinance within the Treasury Branch.
The Treasury Officer (Branch Management) has been designated as the Personal Data Privacy Officer, responsible for overseeing the handling of requests made under the Ordinance for access to or correction of personal data, except for those relating to tax appeals lodged under the Inland Revenue Ordinance.
The Clerk, Board of Review (Inland Revenue) is responsible for handling personal data access or correction requests relating to tax appeals lodged under the Inland Revenue Ordinance.
The Branch maintains a Log Book on Requests for Access to or Correction of Personal Data as required under section 27 of the Ordinance.
Application Procedures
Data access requests must be made in writing using the following form specified by the Office of the Privacy Commission for Personal Data:
Requests should be addressed to the following person by fax (2147 5770), by e-mail (scobm@fstb.gov.hk), or by post :
Treasury Officer (Branch Management)
Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (Treasury Branch)
24/F, Central Government Offices
2 Tim Mei Avenue
Tamar, Hong Kong
However, requestors who wish to request access to personal data in relation to tax appeals lodged under the Inland Revenue Ordinance should address the requests to the following person by fax (2157 9012), by e-mail (bor@fstb.gov.hk), or by post :
Clerk, Board of Review (Inland Revenue)
Room 1003
Tower 2, Lippo Centre
89 Queensway, Hong Kong
Requests for correction of personal data must be raised in writing, either through email or letter, addressed to the above persons as appropriate. The requestor must disclose his/her identity and where necessary, the Branch will request evidence of the new data before accepting the correction request.
Charges
Unless approved otherwise, a charge will be made to cover the cost of photocopying personal data at the standard rate prescribed by the Director of Accounting Services. Currently, the rate is $1.10 or $1.20 per photocopy on documents provided in black and white on A3 or A4 size paper respectively with or without enlarging.