The previous Sai Kung District Council Photo: Internet
Apple Daily are reporting that at least three of the old District Councils spent over $600,000 of public funds to organise events that were restricted to only those invited by the District Council members. Some of the new councillors have expressed their hope that this type of event will not be held this year.
Checking the records of the previous sessions of 18 District Councils, Apple Daily reporters found that the previous session of Sai Kung District Council allocated $140,000 for a “Regional Awards Ceremony”. At the same time Sha Tin and Wong Tai Sin District Councils held Chinese New Year receptions funded by the respective DCs every year during the Lunar New Year, using $108,000 and $380,000. Tthe records show that these events were only available to invited persons and were not open to the public.
According to the report, the “Sai Kung District Council’s Ceremony of Giving Thanks to Local People”, which could only be attended by invited persons, is held once every four years. The next one is planned for March, but may be postponed.
Sha Tin District Council held three “New Year’s Cocktail Receptions of the Sha Tin District Council and the Civil Affairs Office” every year, and each time the District Council and the Civil Affairs Office spent $36,000 each. Documents show that the schedule of the event included both a formal presentation ceremony and a tea ceremony, and 900 people participated. The purpose is to celebrate the Spring Festival and friendship with people in the area, but the event was promoted by invitation only. This year’s Spring Festival reception was eventually cancelled due to the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic.
In the last session of the Wong Tai Sin District Council, a total of $380,000 was approved to hold the “Spring Festival Cocktail Reception and Certificate of Appreciation and Outstanding Contribution Award Presentation Ceremony”. In addition to the allocation of $80,000 in 2016-17, in 2018 and 2019 $150,000 was budgeted for the event.
One current member, from the ADPL, said that according to tradition, in addition to the cocktail party, the event mainly praises members of organisations in the district, such as mutual aid committees and corporations. He believes that such activities are necessary, but from now he hopes to “save as much as possible as far as food and drink are concerned”. After the newly elected members of the current session took over they have cancelled the cocktail party and only issued certificates to local people.
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