Is former Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam’s HK$9 million-a-year office sign of respect or ‘ridiculous’ use of public money?
- Lam got her plush office in Admiralty as there was no space in building shared by former city leaders
- But lawmakers have questioned rising expenses of ex-leaders amid lack of clarity over roles after leaving office
The Chinese and Hong Kong flags stand tall at the entrance of a unit on the eighth floor of one of the city’s most prestigious commercial buildings.
Her office became the talk of the town recently, after the government disclosed that it cost taxpayers an estimated HK$9.17 million (US$1.2 million) in the past financial year, including HK$5.67 million for rent and HK$2.86 million in staff expenses.
The hefty sum ignited debate over the prudent use of public funds by former officials, especially at a time when the economic downturn has resulted in belt-tightening by various government departments.
“They should take the initiative to explain how their work brought benefits to Hong Kong as we all expect to maximise their value by using public money,” veteran political commentator Lau Siu-kai said.
“We should provide reasonable respect to former leaders, but under the current economic situation, I don’t think it is a good practice to rent such an expensive office.”
