Hygiene measures to combat swine flu cost about 15 per cent less than the funds allocated for them.
All departments met their hygiene objectives without spending as much as they had asked for in July 2009 - at the height of the swine flu pandemic - mainly because the contractors were able to do the jobs for less than expected.
The work, started in late 2009, cost HK$257 million, about 85 per cent of the original grant of HK$300 million to seven government departments approved by the Legislative Council's Finance Committee.
It included clearing drainage pipes, organising public exhibitions to promote awareness and sterilising public installations.
The figures were revealed in a final report by the departments to Legco's food safety and environmental hygiene panel yesterday.
A total of 3,800 temporary jobs were created during the clean-up efforts.