Lee finally makes move after $2.8m works

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has moved into Government House following a HK$2.8 million renovation, while more than HK$5.3 million more is expected to be spent on repairs at the residences of Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok.

The 167-year-old Government House, a declared monument under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance, has been used as the residence of the chief executive since the handover, as well as for official events and reception of visitors.

Lee, who resided in King's Park Villa in Ho Man Tin before moving to the Mid-Levels house, did not relocate to Barker Road on The Peak when he was promoted to chief secretary last June.

Currently, recruitment is open for two of the 20 housekeeping positions at Government House.

The chief executive's office has advertised in a search for a senior chef to the chief executive, his family and visiting guests at a salary of nearly HK$30,000 a month.

Lee's move to the official residence on Upper Albert Road in Central, which allows him to get to the Central Government Offices in Tamar with greater convenience, comes four months after he was sworn, when the renovation works were still ongoing.

Chan and Lam have yet to officially move into their residences at 15 Barker Road and 19 Severn Road, both on The Peak.

"The government plans to spend about HK$1.3 million to carry out necessary repairs and replacement works to fix water leakages, replace worn and damaged air-conditioning units, and repaint walls at the Barker Road residency," a spokesman for the chief secretary's office said.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said the old air-con system, installed in 1997, at the Severn Road residence needs to be replaced.

The project, expected to cost HK$4 million, is still in progress.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po is currently living at his official residence on 45 Shouson Hill Road in Deep Water Bay. His office said that it could not provide figures on maintenance expenses due to unsettled expenses for this financial year.