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Following is a question by the Hon Albert Ho and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, in the Legislative Council today (July 13):
Question:
It has been learnt that ePlus Communications Limited (ePlus), a subsidiary of the Internet Professional Association (IProA), produced a web site for the Chief Secretary for Administration, and ePlus also has close connections with Letlink Technology Limited (Letlink), Chinese World Ventures Limited (CWV), China Multi Media Resources Limited (CMMR) and Portal Health International Limited (PHI); and that a company named TOOB Creative Workshop Limited (TOOB) was appointed by the Government to carry out work on analysing or disseminating political comments. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether the Government had appointed the aforesaid companies or organisations (IProA, ePlus, Letlink, CWV, CMMR, PHI and TOOB) to undertake government work or publicly-funded projects in the past five years; if so, of such government work or publicly-funded projects and the respective amounts of public funds involved;
(b) whether it had carried out work on analysing or disseminating political comments on the Internet or related work; if so, whether it had appointed any company or organisation to carry out such work; if it had, of the names of those companies or organisations and the amounts of public funds involved; and
(c) whether it will, in deciding the companies or organisations to be appointed for undertaking government work or publicly-funded projects, take into account the political background of the members of those companies or organisations?
Reply:
President,
(a) In the past five years, the Government has procured in accordance with the laid down government procurement procedures the following services from the Internet Professional Association and Letlink Technology Limited -
Name of Company/
Year Organisation Particulars Amount
---- ------------------ ----------- ------
2010 Letlink Creating $30,000
Technology Limited QR-Codes for
Government
House Open
Day
2008 Internet Advertisement $9,800
Professional for 2008
Association Voter
Registration
Campaign in
IProA Annual
Report 2007
There is no record of the Government procuring services from the remaining five companies or organisations in the past five years.
(b) Some bureaux/departments keep in view the views expressed by citizens on media platforms. However, the Government has not engaged outside companies/organisations to "work on analysing or disseminating political comments on the Internet or related work".
(c) The political background of the members of bidding companies or organisations is not one of the factors that Government takes into account in deciding whether such companies or organisations should be awarded a government contract. As a general rule, procuring departments shall award contracts to tenderers who fully comply with the technical specifications, terms and conditions laid down in the tender documents; who are technically and financially capable of undertaking the contracts; and who offer the lowest prices. If a marking scheme is used to assess bids, the procuring department shall award the contract to the bidder who attains the highest overall score.
Ends/Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:01
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