Politics blamed for government's end of contract with iProA
A deal to co-run a HK$220m scheme faces the chop because IT service provider came across as backing Henry Tang, board member says
An information technology organisation whose contract with the government is facing an early end may have been affected by its sister organisation's apparent support of Henry Tang Ying-yen in his failed bid for chief executive, a board member says.
In fact, Winnie Tang Shuk-ming, then president of the Internet Professional Association (iProA), had nominated Henry Tang in a personal capacity, she said yesterday.
She was responding to the government's move last month to terminate a contract with the eInclusion Foundation, which is affiliated with iProA, to co-run a HK$220 million internet subsidy scheme that helped underprivileged children. The termination will take effect on May 19.
Winnie Tang said the move was "shocking" and upset the board, although iProA had floated the idea of exiting the scheme last year.
"The government I'm dealing with is very unfamiliar to me after all those years when I did social service," she said.
The government I'm dealing with is very unfamiliar to me after all those years when I did social service
"Everyone says iProA is in Henry Tang's camp. It is a fact that I had nominated [him. The termination of the contract] makes me feel the government must do it politically in order to show it does not favour iProA."