THE Government has been forced to reconsider the terms for Hongkong's ''ambassador'' to the United States following revelations that the man designated for the job - Mr Barrie Wiggham - could immediately collect a $5 million cash pension payment.
Conservative and liberal legislators yesterday united to challenge plans to make the Hongkong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs a departmental post instead of an administrative officer grade job.
The proposal would allow veteran civil servant Mr Wiggham to retire and collect a one-off pension payment before flying to Washington to take up his new post.
Traditionally, the top job in Hongkong's overseas offices is an administrative officer post, but the current proposal envisages the Washington post, pitched at D8 grade on the directorate pay scale, as a departmental level job.
While a D8 post is only taken up by policy secretaries who are administrative officers, officials argue that departmentalising the post will in the long run ensure that the Government can select the most suitable person, either an administrative officer or someone outside the administrative officer grade.
Yesterday's special briefing was arranged for officials to explain the post's details. Mr Wiggham will head the Government's offices in North America at a cost of about $4 million a year. The Government also wants to buy a $20 million house for the commissioner.
Explaining the Government's case, the Secretary for Trade and Industry, Mr Brian Chau Tak-hay, promised to reconsider the plan to departmentalise the post before seeking funding from legislators next month.