OpinionLawmakers' HK$74m footbridge to get their lunch is a misuse of public funds
Albert Cheng says the proposal for a footbridge extension linking Legco building with Citic Tower makes no financial sense and smacks of abuse
The relocation of the central government offices and the Legislative Council to the relatively isolated Tamar area has left people who work there with little choice when it comes to lunchtime dining. They either eat in-house or go across the road to one of a handful of restaurants inside Citic Tower. Victoria City Restaurant is popular.
Last month, an apparently insignificant news article appeared about the approval of a project by Legco's public works subcommittee. It involves extending the existing footbridge that links Citic Tower with the central government offices and the Admiralty MTR station, to connect the Legco building. The extension is expected to cost more than HK$74 million and the project will be completed by June 2015.
We can only assume lawmakers' action was prompted by their arrogance
The proposed project will have to be further approved by Legco's Finance Committee before being given the final green light. But no legislator has objected to the proposal so far. The media seems uninterested.
Only Labour Party lawmaker Cyd Ho Sau-lan has expressed concern over the huge maintenance costs, while Democratic Party legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing complained about the inconsistent "green" approach, saying the old part of the footbridge could become an aesthetic eyesore.
In fact, this project is a case of transfer of interest and an abuse of public funds, and should not be treated lightly. Legco members and staff working at the central government offices will directly benefit from the project. The secondary beneficiaries will be the Citic Tower management and the restaurants and shops there.
At present, there are two footbridges linking the central government offices with Admiralty Centre, where the MTR is located, while the footbridge at Citic Tower is also connected to the central government offices. There is no need for an extension to link up Legco with nearby buildings just to serve legislators.
Most importantly, it is the role of legislators to monitor the government and ensure there is no misuse of public funds. Clearly, in this case, our watchdog has failed. We should not tolerate such blatant double standards.