MORE than $300 million will be spent on buying and decorating overseas offices if a proposal made yesterday goes though.
In a submission to legislators, the administration said it wanted to spend $314 million on four offices for the new Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office which will represent and promote the territory's interests.
New offices are planned for Singapore and Sydney. The other two will replace rented offices in San Francisco and Washington.
The 1,100 square foot office in Singapore is the most expensive at $140 million, while the others cost from $35 million to $45 million.
Fitting out the four locations will cost $33 million - a $7 million reduction from the original proposal. There is a $16 million budget for furniture and equipment.
All the offices targeted are in 14 to 20-year-old commercial buildings, compared to 16-18 years for owned office accommodation in the territory.
