https://www.scmp.com/rss/522555/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Swire Coca-Cola has won a HK$31.9 million (US$4 million) contract to supply Bonaqua water to some Hong Kong government offices, following a HK$52.9 million procurement scandal last year. According to a Government Logistics Department notice, Swire Coca-Cola was awarded the 27-month contract on Tuesday to supply more than 1.46 million bottles of drinking water to offices on Hong Kong Island and parts of the outlying islands. The selection followed an open tender launched in December. In its... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347375/swire-coca-cola-wins-hk32-million-government-deal-after-bottled-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347375/swire-coca-cola-wins-hk32-million-government-deal-after-bottled-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 13:32:55 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Accountability is at the core of a disciplinary investigation into the scandal involving the procurement of bottled water for government offices last year. Equally important is that lessons are learned and the appropriate punishment meted out to those responsible so as to serve as a stern warning for civil servants who fail to discharge their duties conscientiously. It has been found that three Government Logistics Department officers did not perform up to the standards commensurate with their... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340646/bottled-water-scandal-should-prompt-civil-servants-exercise-due-diligence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3340646/bottled-water-scandal-should-prompt-civil-servants-exercise-due-diligence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Ambrose Li,Jess Ma Ambrose Li,Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities will hold three officers from the logistics department accountable over their roles in a bottled water procurement scandal, while its former head had his Silver Bauhinia Star nomination rescinded despite being cleared of direct oversight. Civil service chief Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said on Tuesday that an investigation into the scandal involving the HK$166 million (US$21.3 million) bottled water procurement contract last year found that two staff members from the Government... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340499/hong-kong-logistics-head-stripped-award-3-staff-face-action-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3340499/hong-kong-logistics-head-stripped-award-3-staff-face-action-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:11:59 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Alongside death and taxes, there are few things more universally certain than corruption in public procurement. That is a reality worth keeping front of mind in Hong Kong as we home in on those we want to blame for the tragic Wang Fuk Court fire that in November killed at least 161 people and left thousands homeless. The maintenance contracts may not have been public procurement contracts, but they were supposed to be strictly overseen by officials and subject to government regulations.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339224/root-out-corruption-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-investigation-must-go-beyond-scapegoats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3339224/root-out-corruption-hong-kongs-tai-po-fire-investigation-must-go-beyond-scapegoats?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Willa Wu Willa Wu Hong Kong authorities are expected to announce next month the results of their investigation into a bottled water scandal that rocked the city and take disciplinary action against those officials involved after confirming that the probe has been completed. The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, which set up a task force to probe the scandal that emerged in August, on Tuesday said both the review of the government’s procurement system and related disciplinary investigation had been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338190/hong-kong-set-unveil-results-disciplinary-action-after-bottled-water-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3338190/hong-kong-set-unveil-results-disciplinary-action-after-bottled-water-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:44:20 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok The Hong Kong government has put on hold the presentation of a top honour to a newly retired official whose department was at the centre of a recent bottled water procurement scandal, saying it has to wait until a disciplinary probe reaches a conclusion. The administration revealed the move on Tuesday evening in response to media questions on whether Carlson Chan Ka-shun would attend the 2025 honours presentation ceremony at Government House on Saturday. Chan, the former director of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3332395/hong-kong-award-hold-ex-logistics-chief-until-water-scandal-probe-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3332395/hong-kong-award-hold-ex-logistics-chief-until-water-scandal-probe-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 17:05:42 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial A disciplinary investigation has been rightly ordered regarding the actions of Hong Kong officials involved in a scandal related to the procurement of bottled water for government offices. Integrity and trust in the system are at stake. It is good the inquiry will extend to all officials, regardless of rank or whether they have retired. An initial review by the city’s Audit Commission found human error may have been a factor. The watchdog discovered that the Government Logistics Department (GLD)... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330039/probe-hong-kongs-water-procurement-scandal-must-restore-trust?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3330039/probe-hong-kongs-water-procurement-scandal-must-restore-trust?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 23:15:14 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities will launch a disciplinary investigation into officials involved in a bottled water procurement scandal after an initial probe by the audit watchdog found that human error may have been a factor in the case. A review by the Audit Commission found that the Government Logistics Department (GLD) had repeatedly failed to follow up on suspicious signs, giving the green light to a company that allegedly used fraudulent documents to win the tender and supply substandard... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3329681/hong-kong-officials-involved-water-procurement-fiasco-face-disciplinary-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3329681/hong-kong-officials-involved-water-procurement-fiasco-face-disciplinary-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:32:23 +0000 Harvey Kong,Fiona Sun Harvey Kong,Fiona Sun A new accountability system for senior civil servants aims to strengthen the fitness of government departments and raise public trust in authorities, Hong Kong’s leader has said. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told a radio programme on Saturday that the measure would push department heads to consistently look for areas for improvement, likening the practice to regular exercise. In his annual policy blueprint on Wednesday, Lee introduced the “Heads of Department Accountability System”, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3326251/hong-kongs-new-civil-servant-accountability-system-ensure-government-keeps-fit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3326251/hong-kongs-new-civil-servant-accountability-system-ensure-government-keeps-fit?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 08:47:06 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The departmental head who apologised for a HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) government water procurement scandal has begun pre-retirement leave, in what a minister has said is a normal arrangement, while the incident remains under review. It may not come under the accountability system proposed in the chief executive’s policy address, but Carlson Chan Ka-shun’s exit as director of the Government Logistics Department will be seen as consistent with the government’s resolve to strengthen... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326171/accountability-system-hong-kongs-top-civil-servants-long-overdue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3326171/accountability-system-hong-kongs-top-civil-servants-long-overdue?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Jeffie Lam,Fiona Sun Jeffie Lam,Fiona Sun The head of Hong Kong’s logistics department, embroiled in a water procurement scandal, has started his pre-retirement leave, while Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said that civil servants remain subject to the management system until they officially depart. According to the latest government gazette, Carlson Chan Ka-shun ceased to be the director of the Government Logistics Department on Friday as he began his pre-retirement leave. His former deputy, Avia Lai Wong Shuk-han, has been... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3326066/hong-kong-logistics-department-head-begins-pre-retirement-leave-following-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3326066/hong-kong-logistics-department-head-begins-pre-retirement-leave-following-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 02:58:20 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu Some readers might not know Hong Kong had an election a little over a week ago. And that’s OK, because most of us aren’t part of the 3,631 voters eligible to take part in the Election Committee subsector by-elections, held on September 7. The election achieved a phenomenal voter turnout rate of 97.33 per cent. The 1,500-member Election Committee had 93 vacancies that needed filling. Nearly 80 per cent of the seats were uncontested. The public may lack interest, but that doesn’t mean the Election... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3325337/john-lees-policy-address-must-illuminate-hong-kongs-way-forward?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3325337/john-lees-policy-address-must-illuminate-hong-kongs-way-forward?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell Counterfeit bricks in MTR’s Tung Chung East station project, improperly sourced bottled water for government departments, substandard trainers for lifeguards – recent scandals in Hong Kong have aroused controversies rooted in the government’s public procurement process. Few Hongkongers have the vaguest idea of the scale of government procurement, even though it is everywhere around us. The Government Transparency Institute, which tries to monitor government procurement worldwide, estimates it... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3325245/hong-kongs-procurement-scandals-reminder-constant-vigilance-needed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3325245/hong-kongs-procurement-scandals-reminder-constant-vigilance-needed?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Jane Lee Jane Lee Hong Kong’s bottled water procurement scandal has garnered widespread public attention. Beyond the immediate concerns over the process and contract management, it offers an opportunity to reflect more broadly on civil service culture. The episode should be viewed not only as a problem to resolve but also as an opportunity to promote attentiveness, ownership and flexibility in public administration. The 2025 tender awarded contracts mainly based on the lowest bid. Requirements were described as... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324926/end-hong-kongs-procurement-failures-overhaul-civil-service-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3324926/end-hong-kongs-procurement-failures-overhaul-civil-service-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong’s logistics chief has issued a set of guidelines to senior civil servants, urging them to “heighten their alertness” and conduct due diligence to prevent potential fraudulent acts by tenderers and contractors, following a recent drinking water procurement scandal. “In light of the recent incident on procurement of bottled drinking water for which fraud elements involving the contractor are revealed, it is of utmost importance for bureaus and departments to step up efforts to prevent... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324094/hong-kong-official-calls-heightened-alertness-among-staff-after-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3324094/hong-kong-official-calls-heightened-alertness-among-staff-after-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 13:43:31 +0000 Alice Wu Alice Wu It is quite unimaginable that Hong Kong continues to struggle with basic necessities such as water. However, that is the case, at least when it comes to the government. Ten years ago, opposition lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan found excessive levels of lead in drinking water that was later discovered to have affected 11 public housing estates, involving 29,000 households. That led to an independent, judge-led inquiry in 2016. The investigation yielded 17 recommendations, including for the water... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322960/water-scandal-another-blow-public-trust-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3322960/water-scandal-another-blow-public-trust-hong-kong-government?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong’s treasury chief has dismissed calls to set up a separate commission of inquiry to investigate officials’ roles in a bottled water procurement scandal, arguing that the government auditor will be able to identify lapses in a “professional and independent” manner. Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu, the head of a new task force that is reviewing the case, on Sunday defended the adequacy of having the Audit Commission conduct the investigation and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322966/no-separate-inquiry-needed-probe-hong-kong-water-scandal-treasury-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322966/no-separate-inquiry-needed-probe-hong-kong-water-scandal-treasury-chief-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Aug 2025 06:22:26 +0000 Willa Wu,Harvey Kong Willa Wu,Harvey Kong Hong Kong’s leader has expressed deep disappointment over the Government Logistics Department’s failure to detect fraudulent documents before awarding a HK$52.9 million (US$6.78 million) contract to a bottled water supplier, urging authorities to plug loopholes in the procurement process as soon as possible. Commenting on the water supply scandal for the first time, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said on Saturday that the treasury minister’s response to the incident had been timely and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322912/very-disappointed-john-lee-speaks-first-time-hong-kongs-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322912/very-disappointed-john-lee-speaks-first-time-hong-kongs-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 06:24:19 +0000 Willa Wu,Vivian Au Willa Wu,Vivian Au A vague public apology and blaming a procedural “flaw” have failed to quell public discontent over the government’s water procurement scandal, political analysts have said, urging Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu to accelerate developing a civil servant accountability system. Analysts made the call on Friday as the government said that the central tender board, chaired by the permanent secretary of the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, had given the final approval to the bottled water... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322877/hong-kong-urged-expedite-civil-servant-accountability-system-after-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322877/hong-kong-urged-expedite-civil-servant-accountability-system-after-water-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 13:21:49 +0000 Vivian Au,Edith Lin Vivian Au,Edith Lin Hong Kong lawmakers have called for tougher vetting of bidders for government tenders, accusing authorities of accepting information submitted by companies at face value after awarding a HK$52.9 million (US$8.8 million) bottled water contract to a firm suspected of deception. They made the calls for stricter background checks as a senior official apologised for the first time over the growing procurement scandal, which came to light at the weekend after the government was forced to terminate a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322711/hong-kong-water-scandal-tougher-vetting-contract-bidders-needed-lawmakers-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3322711/hong-kong-water-scandal-tougher-vetting-contract-bidders-needed-lawmakers-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Willa Wu,Vivian Au Willa Wu,Vivian Au The Hong Kong government’s procurement system failed to detect document fraud and authorities are taking immediate steps to strengthen it, the head of the logistics department has said, apologising to the public for the first time since a growing water scandal broke out. Government Logistics Department director Carlson Chan Ka-shun said on Thursday that officials understood the case had caused huge public concern over the procurement process. “It has also sparked doubts over the safety of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322620/i-apologise-everyone-hong-kong-official-admits-system-failed-detect-water-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322620/i-apologise-everyone-hong-kong-official-admits-system-failed-detect-water-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:48:38 +0000 Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying,Oscar Liu Vivian Au,Lo Hoi-ying,Oscar Liu Hong Kong police have confirmed that a third-party factory in Dongguan, Guangdong province, was commissioned by two fraud suspects to produce bottled water supplied to some government offices in a growing procurement scandal, but said the plant held the relevant licences required by mainland Chinese authorities. The controversy came to light over the weekend when the Government Logistics Department announced that it had “partially terminated” a HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) three-year... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322465/hong-kong-centre-takes-legal-action-against-firm-suspected-water-procurement-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322465/hong-kong-centre-takes-legal-action-against-firm-suspected-water-procurement-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Aug 2025 05:45:14 +0000 Denise Tsang,Oscar Liu Denise Tsang,Oscar Liu A married couple arrested in Hong Kong over a HK$52.9 million (US$6.8 million) suspected water procurement fraud that targeted the government are already under investigation for allegedly using false documents to obtain trade loans about three years ago, the Post has learned. Police said on Monday that the man, 61, and woman, 57, were arrested the previous day on suspicion of defrauding the government in connection with a contract to supply drinking water to civil service offices. A source said... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322208/hong-kong-police-arrest-couple-over-hk529-million-bottled-water-contract-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3322208/hong-kong-police-arrest-couple-over-hk529-million-bottled-water-contract-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 07:55:12 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong authorities are facing mounting pressure to explain how a company offering more expensive bottled water and without an operating factory could win a tender, while a civil service union leader has said workers are now worried about their health and are buying their own supplies. Lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon on Monday questioned the deadline of three months that the government had set for itself in its investigation to produce preliminary conclusions on its bottled water procurement... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322191/calls-hong-kong-government-speed-probe-pricier-bottled-water-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3322191/calls-hong-kong-government-speed-probe-pricier-bottled-water-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 05:52:37 +0000 Harvey Kong,Denise Tsang Harvey Kong,Denise Tsang Hong Kong authorities have “partially terminated” a new bottled water supply contract awarded to a mainland Chinese company for certain government offices, with police investigating suspected illegal activities. The Government Logistics Department said on Saturday that it doubted Xin Ding Xin Trade Co Ltd was still capable of fulfilling the 36-month contract, which it won just two months ago. The agreement covered the supply of bottled drinking water to government offices on Hong Kong Island and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322079/hong-kong-suspends-water-supply-deal-mainland-chinese-firm-calls-police?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3322079/hong-kong-suspends-water-supply-deal-mainland-chinese-firm-calls-police?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 16 Aug 2025 04:22:20 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to maintain safety as he weighed in on a deal to buy mainland Chinese brands of bottled water for some government offices that will save taxpayers HK$16 million (US$2 million) a year. Lee also said on Sunday that water samples would be checked regularly and the government would cancel the contracts if standards were not met. “For drinking water, we attach much importance to safety. It is reflected in our tendering process,” he said. “Anyone who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320598/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-safety-pledge-over-bottled-water-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3320598/hong-kong-leader-john-lee-safety-pledge-over-bottled-water-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:08:21 +0000