THE Government has asked legislators for $34 million - to eliminate underspending.
The Secretary for Works, Mr James Blake, said the money would pay for a nine-month study to look at efficiency and co-operation between departments in a bid to boost public works spending.
Last year the Government underspent its public works budget by $3.6 billion.
And it was criticised for not getting planned public facilities off the ground as scheduled.
The Deputy Secretary for Works, Miss Elaine Chung Lai-kwok, admitted the Government had failed to eliminate the problem although a number of bottle-necks had been identified.
''When the Government handles all the public works, it is time-consuming and often requires the effort of numerous departments for projects as minor as the building of a footbridge,'' she said.