Annual operating costs for offices of ex-Hong Kong leaders reach HK$21 million, with Carrie Lam’s workplace accounting for 44%
Operating expenses for the offices of four former Hong Kong chief executives reached nearly HK$21 million (US$2.7 million) in the last financial year, with about 44 per cent attributed to the workplace of Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor who attended more than 700 activities in the past 24 months.
The director of administration said on Monday that the revised estimate of recurrent expenditure for Lam’s office at Pacific Place in Admiralty was around HK$9.17 million, including HK$5.67 million for rent and HK$2.86 million in staff expenses.
Recurrent expenditure for Lam’s office rose 31 per cent year on year. It accounted for about 44 per cent of the total expenditure for running all four former leaders’ offices, which stood at HK$20.99 million in the 2023-24 financial year.
The director also said Lam attended more than 700 promotional or protocol-related functions in her capacity as a former city leader in the past two years.
Lawmaker Dominic Lee Tsz-king from the New People’s Party said Lam mainly attended events out of courtesy and questioned if the grade A office space was necessary. He suggested moving her office to government property or other commercial areas, such as Kai Tak.
“The city’s economy is bad and the government is facing a deficit. The former leader should go through this difficult time together,” he said.
“Even multinational corporations are moving their offices to places with lower rent. Why does a former chief executive need to rent such space?”
Carrie Lam accepts honorary positions and promises to use them to help Hong Kong
Carrie Lam accepts honorary positions and promises to use them to help Hong Kong
After Lam completed her five-year term in 2022, the government rented a 2,874 sq ft office for her in the Admiralty shopping centre and office tower complex as the Office of Former Chief Executives on Kennedy Road in Mid-Levels had run out of space after accommodating three other former leaders.
Currently, Tung Chee-hwa, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Leung Chun-ying use the government-owned office, a Grade I historic building constructed in the early 1900s.
In a reply to lawmakers’ questions on the latest government budget, the director said Lam’s office spent HK$6.95 million in the 2022-23 financial year, with more than 60 per cent of that going to rent.
It also spent HK$6.55 million on renovations that year, prompting some lawmakers to question the huge sum involved.
Overall expenses for running all four ex-leaders’ offices cost HK$17.85 million in the 2022-23 financial year.
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The Administration Wing in 2022 said Admiralty was a suitable location as it had to meet the status of the former chief executive and operational requirements.
It added the monthly rent was “reasonable” and the fitting-out works were done in accordance with the city leader’s status and police’s instruction on security.
The director expected to spend HK$22.07 million on running all the former chief executives’ offices in the current financial year, a 5.1 per cent year-on-year increase.
“[It is] representing a slight increase of HK$1.08 million over the revised estimate for 2023-24, which is mainly due to the increase in staff remuneration and other daily operating expenses,” the director said.
