Government buildings spent $21.7 million on HKSAR anniversary and National Day decorations over past three years
近3年政府大樓賀回歸國慶佈置 花費共2,170萬元
The Government has recorded a deficit of more than $100 billion, and the Legislative Council’s special Finance Committee will hold a session on “public finance” tomorrow. A legislator asked the authorities about expenditure on “festive” decorations at various government buildings over the past three years. The total was about $21.7 million, and all the “festivals” involved were the anniversaries of the establishment of the HKSAR and National Day. Asked how to strike a balance amid the deficit, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said it would ask contractors to use reusable festive items and decorations as far as possible, although some anniversary-themed decorations were not suitable for reuse. Election Committee constituency legislator Yueheng Tan expressed concern about the Government Property Agency’s expenditure guidelines for property management. The legislator asked about the expenditure on festive decorations at different government buildings over the past three years, and how to “strike a balance between creating a festive atmosphere and exercising appropriate fiscal restraint” against the background of the fiscal deficit and the Government’s efforts to economise.
政府錄得千億財赤，立法會特別財委會明日將有一節討論「公共財政」。有議員向當局提問，過去3年在政府不同建築物進行的「節日」佈置所涉開支。答案是合共約2,170萬元，所涉的「節日」全是特區成立周年日及國慶日。至於如何在財赤下取得平衡？財庫局回答指，會要求承辦商盡量選用可重用的節慶和裝飾，不過以周年為主題的部分布置則不適用。 選委界議員譚岳衡關注到政府產業署有關物業管理的開支綱領，問到過去3年，不同政府建築物進行節慶佈置所涉及的開支，又問到在財政赤字、政府節流的背景下「如何平衡烘托節慶氣氛和適當節流」。