Entertainment expenses for top officials rose by almost 20 per cent in the past financial year, prompting criticism from lawmakers who called for a cap on spending.
Figures released yesterday showed the entertainment expenditure of the 15 bureaus and the offices of the Chief Secretary for Administration, Financial Secretary and Secretary for Justice came to $6,026,608, an 18.8 per cent rise on the 1999-2000 figure of $5,070,752.
Policy bureaus theoretically have unlimited access to taxpayers' money to spend on banquets and other entertainment directly related to their duties or considered in the public interest.
The Chief Executive Office's registered entertainment expenses of $333,800, although this was not included in the total as Tung Chee-hwa is technically not a civil servant.
The Security Bureau was the biggest spender, with a bill of $582,447. Home Affairs, which oversees public relations and liaison with district authorities, was second with $498,308. The Finance Bureau was the most frugal, spending $73,656.
The offices of Chief Secretary and Financial Secretary spent a combined total of $692,119 last year, while the Department of Justice spent $216,549.
Unionist legislator Li Fung-ying questioned why there was such a big gap between various bureaus' spending and said clear guidelines on entertainment expenditure were needed.
