The arrangement concerning the office of former chief executive Carrie Lam will be reviewed when the lease expires next year, the Hong Kong government has said, after a lawmaker raised questions about its cost and location.
The government revealed in early April that it spent HK$9.17 million on rent, salaries and other expenses to fund Lam’s office in Grade A Pacific Place in Admiralty in 2023, 32 per cent more than in the previous year.
Of that amount, HK$5.67 million was spent on “rent and related expenses, ” which was HK$472,500 per month.
In response to questions about these costs from pro-establishment lawmaker Michael Tien, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said in a written response on Wednesday that while authorities had established an office for former chief executives at 28 Kennedy Road in 2007, the venue could only accommodate three former leaders: Tung Chee-hwa, Donald Tsang, and Leung Chun-ying.
“Taking into account that the new office has to be commensurate with the status of a former CE, coupled with the operational requirements… the Central and Admiralty districts were considered suitable for setting up the office in question,” Chan said.
He added that there had been no suitable nor available government premises in those districts at the time, therefore the government secured a three-year lease of the office in Pacific Place in May 2022.
“We will consider at the suitable juncture the arrangement after the expiry of the lease,” Chan said.
Authorities in early April estimated that it would cost HK$22 million to maintain the four former leaders’ offices in the 2024-25 fiscal year, a 23 per cent increase compared to 2022-23 when Lam’s office opened.
A policy since 2005
Tien said that “there are views pointing out” that the cost of renting Lam’s office was high. He asked if the government had considered looking for a larger venue within its premises that could accommodate all former leaders, or exploring other means to save costs, such as purchasing premises outside of Hong Kong’s central business district.
He also asked if authorities would change existing practices and only offer offices for the last three ex-chief executives at 28 Kennedy Road to “ensure the sustainability of the mechanism and the proper use of public funds.”
Chan responded that the government had been supporting former chief executives since 2005, based on suggestions submitted by an Independent Commission.
“The Government will continue to provide support and other life-long benefits to all former CEs according to the recommendations set out in the Independent Commission’s report, including appropriate office accommodation and administrative support, to facilitate their performance of promotional and protocol-related functions for Hong Kong,” Chan said.
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