2026税贷：香港公务员加薪能否缓解还贷压力？

The adjustment of civil servant salaries has always been closely linked to the economic and financial situation, and not every year can enjoy salary increases and benefits. Looking back at recent salary changes, the civil service population saw a 3% salary increase in 2024, but in 2025, a salary freeze policy was implemented due to financial pressure. The fluctuating pace of salary adjustments has put pressure on many civil servants who are burdened with taxes and loans. After all, tax loans, as an important financial tool for Hong Kong citizens to cope with tax expenses, usually experience a peak in demand during the tax season from October to April of the following year. The monthly repayment amount is relatively fixed, and once income growth stagnates, the pressure of repayment will correspondingly become prominent.

During the current budget consultation period, although the Financial Secretary expects the capital account to continue to show a "red light" this year, the joint statement by representatives of Hong Kong's capital and labor sides has added the possibility of a salary increase for civil servants. According to Lin Jianfeng, Vice Chairman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and member of the Chamber of Commerce, there should be no further salary freeze for civil servants this year, and the government needs to actively consider salary increases. Lin Zhensheng, a representative of the labor side and a member of the Legislative Council of the Federation of Labor Unions, gave more specific demands from the perspective of inflation protection. He stated that the inflation rate in Hong Kong will be close to 2% in 2025. If the salary increase does not keep up with inflation, it will be difficult to guarantee the basic living standards of civil servants. Frontline civil servants generally hope that this salary increase can make up for the purchasing power loss caused by inflation in the past two years.

From the perspective of demands, Lin Zhensheng's proposed salary increase should exceed 3%, which takes into account both inflation factors and the actual needs of the civil service group. However, under the constraints of the fiscal deficit, after negotiations, the salary increase is likely to remain at the level of 3% in 2024. For civil servants burdened with taxes and loans, this salary increase will directly alleviate the pressure of repayment. It should be noted that as a high-quality lending group, civil servants often receive higher amounts and lower interest rates when applying for tax loans, but fixed monthly repayments still account for a certain proportion of their income. Calculated at a 3% salary increase, the increase in income will directly reduce the proportion of loan repayment to monthly income, making cash flow more abundant and effectively reducing monthly financial pressure.