Hong Kong leader rejects calls for financial aid for struggling Jumbo Floating Restaurant, with iconic attraction set to exit city in weeks
- Carrie Lam says government will not ‘force through an unfeasible proposal’ just because attraction was raised in policy address
- Restaurant was to be given to an NGO group to operate as part of Ocean Park in bid to revitalise Southern district, but no takers have come forward
Hong Kong’s leader has dismissed any possibility of using taxpayers’ money to bail out the famed Jumbo Floating Restaurant, which is set to leave the city as early as next month after failed talks between operators on continuing the struggling business as part of Ocean Park.
At a press briefing before the weekly meeting with her de facto cabinet, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Tuesday insisted the government would not inject money into the attraction, saying there was nothing the administration could do if the parties had failed to reach an agreement.
“We have clearly indicated that the government has no plans to invest money in the operation of the restaurant as we are not good at running such premises,” she said.
“We won’t force through an unfeasible proposal or one that requires a large amount of public money for implementation simply because it has been raised in the policy address. I find this situation to be of no problem at all.”
The restaurant’s operator on Monday said it was running out of money to keep the structure in good condition.