HONG KONG: The Legislative Council (LegCo)'s Public Accounts Committee expressed grave dismay yesterday over what it termed the "lack of leadership" of Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) chairman Raymond Tang Yee-bong.

The committee said it is "extremely displeased" with the EOC chief for his "lax control on expenditures and lack of a corporate culture intent on the prudent use of public funds."

The head of the committee, Philip Wong Yu-hong, said it was "unacceptable" and "inexcusable" that Tang had failed to provide the leadership to meet the standard of corporate governance and management expected of a publicly-funded statutory body.

The same criticism has been leveled at Michael Chan, the commission's planning and administrative director. Wong said he thinks both Tang and Chan should resign their posts.

Wong criticized the way in which the body had expended public funds. He cited the example of an HK$80,000 expenditure on air-purifiers. He said it was appalling that top executives at the commission had viewed the findings of the audit report as "trivial and insignificant".

In a report earlier, director of audit Benjamin Tang Kwok-bun had criticized the commission for lavish spending and lax supervision.

He pointed to a dinner for 28 people that cost more than HK$15,000 and purchases of materials at prices that were deemed excessive.

EOC chairman Tang said he accepts the criticism and accepts the suggestions in regard to the commission's governance and administration.

He said he assumes full responsibility and apologized for the negative effect the matter has had upon the EOC.

He said a special committee has been established to follow up on the suggestions of the LegCo.

Tang's term as chairman expires in January next year. A spokesperson for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau has said: "We will commence the open recruitment exercise soon to appoint a new chairperson."

The spokesman said: "We have proposed to the EOC that an audit and management consultant be commissioned in order to assist the EOC in its implementation of the recommendations of the Director of Audit and Public Accounts Committee, and to regularize measures to strengthen its governance."

The spokesman added that: "In accordance with the established procedure, we will submit a Government Minute to the LegCo in October to report on the progress to follow up actions on the Public Accounts Committee report."

(HK Edition 07/09/2009 page1)