FORMER Executive Councillor Professor Wang Gungwu was appointed yesterday to head an independent commission to determine whether the existing $73,000 monthly allowance enjoyed by legislators is justified.
The vice-chancellor of the University of Hongkong will head a five-member commission to recommend to Governor Chris Patten a remuneration system ''that would enable Legco members to discharge their functions efficiently''.
The other four members are former legislators Cheng Hon-kwan and Andrew So Kwok-wing, industrialist and Governor's Business Council member Christopher Cheng Wai-chee, and management consultant Thomas Leung Kwok-fai.
Legislators might have their allowances cut if the present level is found to be too high by Professor Wang's commission.
Professor Wang refused to say yesterday if he considered the present allowance appropriate.
''This is exactly what I am going to find out,'' he said. ''We'll look at it very carefully.'' He said the commission would look at the basis the Government used to arrive at the present calculation.