Taxpayers will foot the monthly $745,366 rent for Tung Chee-hwa's temporary office until the New Year because the decoration of his government office will take longer than expected.
The Government had hoped he could move into his new base as early as this month, but now fears it could be December.
The tenants occupying the Chief Executive's future workplace on the fifth floor of the Central Government Offices' main wing - Chief Secretary for Administration Anson Chan Fang On-sang and Financial Secretary Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen - said yesterday they were ready to move out.
Mrs Chan and Sir Donald have been waiting for three months to move into the 12th floor of the west wing. Current tenants the Civil Service Branch and the International Law Division of the Legal Department move out tomorrow.
Mrs Chan and Sir Donald's new 12,800-square-foot offices have a 30-seat conference room, meeting rooms and a reception area. Their old 10,760-square-foot offices will be refurbished and security tightened for Mr Tung, a government spokesman said yesterday.
Mr Tung, who had been expected to move into his new office as soon as this month, will stay on at the Asia Pacific Finance Tower.