1 Chief secretary set to head Kowloon arts hub authority
Bonnie Chen and Una So, SCMP 31 January 2008

Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen has been tipped to head the Kowloon Cultural District Authority, with the draft bill setting up the body likely to be announced today.

The authority will comprise about 20 members.

But cultural groups have been eyeing the top post.

They believe a government official with experience only in public administration will not be an appropriate head of the authority.

Mau Chi-wang of the People's Panel on West Kowloon said the board members may turn out to be politically-oriented choices instead of reflecting the real concerns of the arts and cultural sectors. Mau also questioned Tang's qualification for the job, saying the post should go to someone from the arts and culture sector.

The Legislative Council's West Kowloon Cultural District panel member Patrick Lau Sau-shing was surprised by the speedy announcement of the bill when lawmakers' questions went unanswered.

Lau questioned whether Tang, as a busy chief secretary , could focus on the challenge of developing the district.

But associate director (operations) of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Philip Soden thought Tang's experience as financial secretary was what the mega project needed.

Still, sources said that having the chief secretary as chairman would not be a long- term arrangement. The key part of the job would be to ensure smooth cooperation among government departments, especially during the early development stage.

On another front, Mirana May Szeto, comparative literature assistant professor of Hong Kong University, criticized the government for rushing the project forward with a non-democratic body and with little transparency.

The Executive Council passed the draft bill on Tuesday. The government wants to table the bill at the Legislative Council next month, hoping to gain approval for HK$21.6 billion to develop the project in July.

The intention is to start construction in September, with the 40-hectare project planned for completion in 2014.

In addition to the HK$21.6 billion, the government will inject HK$19 billion - through selling land for residential and commercial development - for constructing 15 performing arts venues, a museum, a convention center and transport and other public facilities.