Stop jumping the gun on projects cash, Hong Kong officials told
Fears legislature will be reduced to mere rubber stamp if tenders are invited before funds are discussed, let alone approved
The government has been found to have jumped the gun in more than half of infrastructure projects by starting tendering procedures before the discussion and approval of funding requests.
Environmental group Green Sense and planning sector lawmaker Edward Yiu Chung-yim said such behaviour may reduce the Legislative Council to a rubber stamp with suggested improvements by members ignored in order to avoid the revision of tendering documents.
Green Sense chief executive Roy Tam Hoi-pong said: “With the blind support of pro-establishment lawmakers, the government will often put the projects up for tender first, because it is confident the funding requests can pass Legco. It is unacceptable to jump the gun on any occasion.”
The group and Yiu said of 34 funding requests submitted by the government to Legco since the start of the legislative year in October, 18 had been put out for tender before being discussed.
For example, tendering to reclaim 130 hectares of land off the northern coast of Lantau Island began on June 30, but a request for HK$20.5 billion to fund the project will only be discussed by the Finance Committee on Friday.