Political appointees of all levels in Hong Kong have officially received a 1.3% pay increase starting this month, marking the first adjustment since last year's pay freeze. Following this raise, the monthly salaries of the three Secretaries have increased by approximately HK$5,000; Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan's monthly salary is now approximately HK$420,000, Financial Secretary Paul Chan's is approximately HK$410,000, and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam's is approximately HK$390,000. The salaries of the three Under Secretaries are standardized, also increasing by approximately HK$5,000 to nearly HK$390,000 per month. The monthly salaries of the 15 Secretaries of Departments and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office increased from approximately HK$376,000 to approximately HK$381,000, also an increase of about HK$5,000. The pay raises for the 14 Deputy Secretaries and 19 Political Assistants range between HK$1,700 and HK$3,600. Overall, the total annual salary expenditure for political appointees has consequently increased to approximately HK$180 million.