District Council puts up $300,000 for small restaurant promotion and walks into barrage of criticism

A $300,000 initiative to promote smaller restaurants has caused criticism to be directed at the Sai Kung District Council (SKDC). Carol Ho, the activist, spotted the proposal for “tourist and economic development” in council documents that are in Chinese only.
The council is supporting an initiative by the owner of Fat Duck Den on Man Nin St, Yau Shek-ki, and putting up the money, Carol said. On the face of it Shek-ki’s plan is to promote restaurants other than the big sea food restaurants with an event on 3 March. Shek-ki founded an organisation about a year ago apparently with this aim.
Trouble is — according to Carol — none of the smaller restaurants has been informed. No Thai, Vietnamese, Hunan, burger, fish and chip or Chinese desert place knows about it. “This is absolutely disgraceful…” Carol Biddell said.
Carol H said she contacted a staffer at the Sai Kung Community Centre who admitted the small restaurants had yet to be notified about the 3 March promotion. This will be done within two weeks, he said, according to Carol’s report.