Civic Party rebuked over criticism of cost for Tamar project

The government has launched a counteroffensive against the Civic Party, accusing it of making slipshod remarks against the unit cost of building the controversial Tamar development.

In a letter addressed to Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit yesterday, Director of Administration Elizabeth Tse Man-yee criticised the party for claiming that the unit construction cost of the development, which includes a new government headquarters and a Legislative Council complex, is much higher than that of Two IFC.

'The government fully respects and has adopted many of the constructive proposals and ideas about the building of the Tamar development. We can have different views but the facts cannot be twisted,' she wrote.

The Civic Party is the only political party in the legislature that opposes the project. The Finance Committee is due to vote on the $5.1 billion funding bid next Friday.

In late May, Wong Kwok-chun, an associate professor with the University of Hong Kong's Centre for Real Estate and Urban Economics, estimated the Tamar construction cost would be about $30,974 a square metre, compared with $15,980 a square metre for the 88-storey Two IFC - an internal figure Mr Wong claimed to have obtained.

Mr Wong was invited by the Civic Party to compile the figures, which were also distributed by party members.

Ms Tse said the government had repeatedly explained that the Tamar development would also include two hectares of recreation area, covered pedestrian walkways and other auxiliary facilities.