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Key Features of the CSPF Scheme

 

The CSPF Scheme is the retirement benefits system for officers who joined the civil service on new entry terms on or after 1 June 2000 and when they progress onto new permanent terms. It is set up under the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (MPFSO), with the following key design features:

  1. for officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2000 but before 1 June 2015 and who have not opted to extend their service, the normal retirement age is 55 for disciplined services officers in general, 57 for certain prescribed disciplined ranks and 60 for all other officers.

    for officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2000 but before 1 June 2015 and who have opted to extend their service, and officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2015, the normal retirement age is 60 for all disciplined services officers and 65 for all other officers;

  2. for officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2000 but before 1 June 2015 and who have not opted to extend their service, the Government's contributions under the CSPF Scheme, including mandatory and voluntary contributions, follow a progressive contribution rates schedule as follows -

    Completed years of
    continuous service
    on civil service terms
    (in years)    		 Government's contribution rate
    in terms of the percentage
    of the officer's basic salary
    at his/her substantive rank
    Below 3 5%
    3 - below 15 15%
    15 - below 20 17%
    20 - below 25 20%
    25 - below 30 22%
    30 or above 25%

    for officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2000 but before 1 June 2015 and who have opted to extend their service, and officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2015, the Government's contributions under the CSPF Scheme, including mandatory and voluntary contributions, follow a refined progressive contribution rates schedule as follows -

    Completed years of
    continuous service
    on civil service terms
    (in years)    		 Government's contribution rate
    in terms of the percentage
    of the officer's basic salary
    at his/her substantive rank
    Below 3 5%
    3 - below 18 15%
    18 - below 24 17%
    24 - below 30 20%
    30 - below 35 22%
    35 or above 25%

    The contribution amount derived from applying the contribution rate includes both the Government's mandatory and voluntary contributions but excludes the Special Disciplined Services Contribution;

  3. disciplined services officers are provided with, in addition to (b) above, a Special Disciplined Services Contribution at 2.5% of the basic salary;

  4. the Government's contribution rate in respect of an officer upon his/her joining the CSPF Scheme would be the rate corresponding to his/her years of continuous service from first civil service appointment. Where an officer is directly appointed to a promotion post/rank on agreement and subsequently progresses to permanent terms, the Government's contributions for him/her will start at the rate on the progressive contribution rates schedule corresponding to the years of experience required for the promotion post/rank plus his/her years of continuous service since his/her first appointment to that promotion rank on civil service terms;

  5. the overall financial commitment of the CSPF Scheme would be kept within 18% of the salary cost; 

  6. the Government's voluntary contributions would be fully vested in an officer on completion of ten continuous years of service since first appointment or on reaching the normal retirement age, whichever is the earlier, with 0% vesting in the interim; 

  7. for disciplined services officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2000 but before 1 June 2015, irrespective of whether they have opted to extend their service, the Special Disciplined Services Contribution would be fully vested in an officer upon his/her retirement from the civil service on or after reaching the retirement age of 55 for the majority of disciplined services officers and 57 for certain prescribed ranks, with 0% vesting in the interim.

    for disciplined services officers appointed to the civil service on or after 1 June 2015, the Special Disciplined Services Contribution would be fully vested in an officer upon his/her retirement from the civil service on or after reaching the normal retirement age of 60, with 0% vesting in the interim; and

  8. both the Government's voluntary contributions and the Special Disciplined Services Contribution would be fully vested in an officer on death, retirement on permanent incapacity or upon payment of accrued benefits derived from the mandatory contributions to him/her on the ground of terminal illness as provided under the MPFSO.

There are provisions to enable the forfeiture and reduction of benefits attributable to the Government's voluntary contributions and the Special Disciplined Services Contribution on disciplinary grounds, and withholding of such benefits in case of doubt.

CSPF members may use CLC Plus to obtain more information about CSPF Scheme.