Hong Kong lawmakers slam HK$3.75 million monthly bill for 6 Covid isolation facilities on standby

Hong Kong lawmakers have accused the government of wasting public money after it was revealed about HK$3.75 million is being spent each month to maintain six community isolation facilities unused since the coronavirus pandemic. The legislators on Tuesday urged authorities to make better use of the sites by turning some of them over for other purposes as soon as possible. According to a Development Bureau paper submitted to the Legislative Council’s Special Finance Committee on Monday, all community isolation facilities built during the Covid-19 pandemic have either been placed into “standby mode” or are used for other purposes. As public spending outgrows revenue, should Hong Kong review where the money goes? Monthly expenditure on the six standby facilities stood at about HK$3.75 million in total, covering electricity and maintenance costs, as well as charges for essential security services provided by contractors. Some still required outsourced cleansing services while lighting, air conditioning, fire services and telecoms equipment also had to be maintained, the bureau said. “Individual facilities may incur additional expenditure if they have to be put to other uses should actual needs arise, and the expenditure incurred may also change from time to time,” the bureau added. Annual operating costs for offices of ex-Hong Kong leaders reach HK$21 million According to the authorities, the 65-hectare Penny’s Bay facility costs the most, at about HK$1.7 million a month, followed by the one in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, at about HK$1.4 million. The monthly expenditure on the facility at the old Kai Tak Airport is about HK$400,000, while the one in Hung Shui Kiu costs around HK$120,000. The two remaining facilities – located in Fanling and near the Hong Kong boundary crossing facilities island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge – each cost about HK$65,000 a month. The bureau said light public housing mock-up flats were located at the Kai Tak site, while the Lok Ma Chau Loop management fees also covered facilities of a central government-aided emergency hospital, which included storage areas and temporary offices. It said the government was reviewing how to gradually make arrangements for the remaining community isolation facilities, releasing the sites in phases or utilising them for other purposes. Lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan urged the government to cut expenditure by half at least. “It is a waste of public money to spend about HK$3.75 million basically keeping the facilities on standby mode,” she said. Hong Kong family happiness at 6-year low; Covid-19 aftershock still a problem Chan called on the government to get a team of infectious diseases experts to assess how many facilities should be retained to prepare for a future pandemic, before turning some to other uses to cut costs. She said the Kai Tak facility was a waste of money and land, and suggested renovating its exterior and turning the site into a cultural and creative spot to attract tourists and locals. Legislator Doreen Kong Yuk-foon agreed the expenditure was too high, and urged the government to put some of the sites to other uses to meet the needs of the local communities, such as building flats to relieve urgent housing shortages. She also urged the authorities to review the effectiveness of quarantine and whether isolation in such facilities was the best option if the city was hit by another pandemic. The government earlier put other community isolation facilities to different uses. According to the bureau, the Tam Mei facility in Yuen Long is now being used as centralised quarters for imported labour for the construction industry, while the San Tin one holds training courses and trade tests for the sector. The Construction Industry Council operates both. The Tsing Yi facility is now a base for youth development and national education managed by the Hong Kong Army Cadets Association. One on five hectares of land at the southern end of the Lok Ma Chau Loop has been transferred to other locations, and the Civil Engineering and Development Department is carrying out site formation works there for the construction of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, according to the bureau.