HK Chief Executive Office issues statement on Harbor Festival

Hong Kong Chief Executive's Office issued a statement Thursday, June 23, on the Harbor Festival held in Hong Kong last autumn.

The statement said, Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa is very concerned about the public's reaction to the Public Accounts Committee's Report on the Harbor Festival. He also appreciated the public's concern about the responsibility borne by the Director-General of Investment Promotion as mentioned in the report.

The statement added that the Chief Executive has instructed the Civil Service Bureau and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to deal with the case expeditiously.

The Civil Service Bureau initiated disciplinary proceedings in May. The proceedings are being conducted in parallel with the ICAC's investigation. The bureau will take into account the ICAC's findings before making a conclusion.

The Chief Executive pointed out that there were established procedures to deal with disciplinary matters in respect of civil servants. The Government will handle the case fairly, in accordance with these procedures.

Financial Secretary Henry Tang made a statement on Harbor Festival following a statement in response to the Public Accounts Committee Report No. 42, which was tabled at the Legislative Council Wednesday.

He said under the exceptional circumstances in connection with the economic crisis brought on by SARS, the Economic Relaunch Working Group (ERWG) decided to support the Harbor Festival proposal of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Hong Kong. The intention was to relaunch Hong Kong's economy and rebuild the public confidence as quickly as possible.

Tang said, with the benefit of hindsight, "we realized hat both the ERWG and the AmCham have under-estimated the complexity of organizing the Harbor Festival event within such a tight timeframe and have overestimated its benefits."

Source: Xinhua