Hong Kong’s ministerial team spent HK$46.6 million on visits in past 3 years
Former lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen asks whether taxpayer money is being well spent, but government says quantifying value of trips not always possible
Hong Kong’s 21 ministerial-level officials spent more than HK$46.6 million (US$5.9 million) on trips over the past three financial years, with finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po accounting for nearly a quarter of the total.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah was the most frequent traveller, making 50 trips in the past three years at a cost of HK$7.21 million to taxpayers, official records released to legislators showed.
Chan made 35 visits during the three financial years running from 2023 to 2026, travelling outside the city almost once a month on average. His trips incurred a total cost of HK$11.95 million – the highest among political appointees.
The destinations included Peru, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Georgia, Australia, Britain, Switzerland, the United States and mainland China.
He was typically accompanied by between one and five staff members on each trip, with the average cost exceeding HK$341,000.
Chan’s deputy, Michael Wong Wai-lun, travelled five times, mainly to the mainland and other parts of Asia, at a total cost of HK$470,000.