**************************************************
In response to an allegation in an article in the Oriental Daily News today (May 31) that the Chief Executive has "privatised" the flight awards obtained from his duty visits, the Chief Executive's Office (CE's Office) issued the following clarification:
Regarding the enquiry on flight awards, the CE's Office issued a written reply to the Oriental Daily News on April 30, as follows:
"The Government does not oblige civil servants on duty visits to claim flight awards. If, however, such awards are claimed and the awards are credited to the officer's personal mileage account, the officer concerned is required to report the awards to his department so that the flight awards may be used for subsequent duty trips. Where the flight awards of an individual civil servant are not expected to be used for duty trips before expiry, the department concerned may at its discretion permit the civil servant to use such awards for private purposes.
"The Chief Executive has been following the above arrangements as applicable to civil servants. Since his assumption of office, the Chief Executive has never redeemed any flight awards obtained from duty visits for private use."
The CE's Office has made it clear that since his assumption of office, the Chief Executive has never used any flight awards arising from duty visits for private purposes. The Chief Executive will not redeem any flight awards obtained from duty visits for private use after his departure from office.
Ends/Thursday, May 31, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:19
NNNN
