MOST of the Government's paper comes from tropical rainforest regions, even though the administration advises against using tropical timber for construction and urges the public to use recycled products where available.
The paper comes mainly from plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia built on rainforests that have either been destroyed to make way for farms, or decimated in other ways.
Yet early last year the Government advised the construction trade to stop using tropical timber on building sites and said it would not be allowed on Government projects, to help save the rainforests.
It also advised individuals in its recent review of environmental policy that they should use recycled products where available, and stated the Government collects its waste paper for recycling - but does not as a rule buy the recycled paper.
The Government Supplies Department buys about 5,000 tonnes of paper each year worth more than $22 million, excluding that for printing. Another 7,200 tonnes worth $50 million is purchased for printing, of which 10 per cent has some recycled content.
The main suppliers are On Hing Paper Co and Che San and Co, who get their virgin paper largely from Malaysia and Indonesia. However, they say some recycled paper products can be almost as cheap as virgin paper and of similar quality.
The Government Supplies Department disputes this, saying that recycled paper is of lower quality than ordinary paper and more expensive to buy and use, and is suitable only for envelopes and folders.