Chief executive's staff won't tell all about plan for Fanling Lodge
Taxpayers will have to fork out a further $1.36 million to give Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's official weekend residence in Fanling a facelift.
The move comes amid controversy over Mr Tsang's plans to build a $300,000 fish pond for his pet carp at Government House - which is being fully renovated at a cost of $14.5 million.
It has also been revealed that, less than two months into his tenure as chief executive, Mr Tsang has already used the sprawling New Territories estate - although his office has declined to say for what purpose or how often.
The Fanling facelift has prompted fresh concerns, with the chairman of the Legislative Council's Finance Committee urging the administration to be more prompt and transparent about spending plans.
Tucked away behind trees skirting the Hong Kong Golf Club course, Fanling Lodge has served since 1934 as a retreat for British-appointed governors and the city's first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa.
It has also housed visiting dignitaries, with former British prime minister John Major staying there in 1996 when Chris Patten was governor. It is undergoing - among other undisclosed work - what Mr Tsang's office said was 'maintenance and touch-ups, including improvements on its outdoor drainage system'.