HK Standard
Eddie Luk
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Outgoing Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has again come under attack, this time for being a “big spender” with public money.
Tsang was criticized for wasting taxpayers’ money by staying in hotel presidential suites during his recent official visits to New Zealand, Chile and Brazil.
This came after he was slated for taking trips on tycoons’ private jets and luxury yachts.
The Chief Executive’s Office said yesterday Tsang stayed at a presidential suite in the Royal Tulip Brasilia Alvorada in Brazil for one night at a cost of around US$6,900 (HK$53,820). He also stayed in the US$1,250-a- night Mayflower Suite at the Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel. But the office denied reports that he stayed in a HK$10,000-a-night presidential suite at a hotel in the Chilean capital Santiago.
The office said that since Tsang was invited by the New Zealand and Chilean governments to launch his official visits, the hotel fees were paid by the two governments.
The last time Tsang reportedly stayed in a presidential suite was during a trip to the United States in November. He is said to have stayed at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington DC, costing taxpayers more than HK$40,000 a night.
Tsang stayed in the presidential suite at the Royal Tulip Brasilia Alvorada because of its satisfactory security and the fact that other suites were too small for Tsang to hold internal meetings and for his meetings with dignitaries, his office said.
But Tsang did not hold any meetings with local leaders and media representatives in the suite.
The office said Tsang stayed in the Mayflower Suite at the Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel because it was cheaper than the presidential suite.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices generally asked for information on hotel rates for Tsang’s business trips, his office said. The decisions on hotel rooms are based on security and transportation and Tsang would not be consulted, it said.
During his tenure, Tsang made more than 50 overseas trips, costing more than HK$10 million, of which about HK$4 million was spent during his last year in office.
Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit said there are no rules for officials on business trips and Tsang has exploited loopholes to benefit himself as much as he could.
Liberal Party chairwoman Miriam Lau Kin-yee expressed disappointment that Tsang spent lavishly on hotel accommodation during his last trip, shortly after he was criticized for using tycoons’ private jets and luxury yachts for personal trips.
Leung Chau-ting, chairman of the Federation of Civil Service Unions, said Tsang’s lavish tastes have significantly hit the reputation of civil servants.