Executive Council convenor Regina Ip on Wednesday said she supported the government's decision to freeze public servants' pay.

This includes civil servants, executive authorities, members of the judiciary, legislators and district councillors.

She noted it would be up to the chief executive to decide whether or not to cut the salary of fellow Exco members, or even donate their salary.

"I think freezing public servants' pay, including our pay, legislators' pay, is the best option forward in the present circumstances," she said.

"Cut backs will have ripple effects on the private sector and it will affect the labour sector as well."

Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced in his budget that two percent of the civil service would be cut annually between the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years, but Ip believes the move will not affect government efficiency.

Felix Yip, associate director of the centre for human resources strategy and development at Baptist University, said slashing 10,000 civil service posts by April 2027 is reasonable, given advances in AI.

"I guess those jobs may be coming from those administrative positions... We are not talking about effectiveness, but talking about efficiency. They can gain a lot from the application of AI," Yip said.

"So in that regard, to a certain extent, the cost can be minimal."