Ex-leader Carrie Lam’s new office renovation to cost HK$2.8m, Hong Kong gov’t says
Hong Kong Free Press
The Hong Kong government has estimated it would spend HK$2.8 million to renovate the former chief executive Carrie Lam’s new office in the government-owned Immigration Tower.
Lam’s office will move to the Immigration Tower in Wan Chai as the tenancy of her office in Pacific Place in Admiralty expires in May, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said in a written reply to lawmaker Michael Tien on Wednesday.
The renovation work of Lai’s new office is currently in progress, Chan also said.
The government revealed in April last year that it spent HK$9.17 million on rent, salaries and other expenses to fund Lam’s office in 2023. “Rent and related expenses” constituted the largest part of the expenditure, recording HK$5.67 million in total.
Another HK$6.55 million was spent on renovation work in 2022-23, including furniture and equipment.
The government has been offering offices and administrative support for all former chief executives since 2005. It set up offices for Tung Chee-hwa, Donald Tsang, and Leung Chun-ying at the Office of Former Chief Executives, a Grade I historic building in Mid-Levels.
Chan said on Wednesday that because the office “can only accommodate three former chief executives,” and “there was no suitable and available government premises at the time,” the government rented a unit at Pacific Place for Lam on a tenancy period of three years starting from May 2022.
The government’s expenditure on Lam’s office had sparked criticism, with lawmakers questioning its location in a premium commercial building and suggesting moving it to government properties.
Relocation welcomed by Lam
The government said last October that it would find alternatives to Lam’s current office.
Lam said in January that she “welcomed” the relocation of her office. Lam’s office told HKFP at the time that it had been advised that the Immigration Tower premises – the former headquarters of the Immigration Department – would be available for use for at least three years.
“Mrs Lam welcomes the relocation which will save recurrent rental cost while at the same time enable her to continue discharging the former CE’s [Chief Executive] duties,” her office wrote in an email to HKFP.
In 2017, Lam announced that the Immigration Tower would be demolished to make way for a new wing of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Local media reported that the complex would be demolished in 2026.
Chief Executive John Lee confirmed last January that the demolition plan would go ahead as planned. “So while the redevelopment plan will go ahead, for the buildings that have been vacated, we should make good use of them,” he said.
“That is why we are now renovating the accommodation there, so as to allow the former Chief Executive to move in. I think that will save government money, and also that will ensure government resources are properly utilised.
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