LCQ14: Advertising spaces in government properties
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Question:
At present, the Government Property Agency lets out government properties, including advertising spaces, for specified uses through open tenders or quotations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information in respect of each of the advertising spaces currently available for letting by the Government for commercial advertising purposes: (i) name of the government property where the space is located, (ii) address, and (iii) display area;
(2) of the rental income received by the Government from advertising spaces in government properties in the past five financial years, and its percentage in the rental income from different categories of government properties; and
(3) given that at present, some government departments have set up notice boards for displaying public information at facilities under their purview (such as footbridges under the purview of the Highways Department), whether the Government will consider taking the initiative to adjust the established practice in the past, and arrange for letting out notice boards at suitable locations for commercial advertisements, so as to increase government revenue and alleviate the fiscal difficulties?
Reply:
President,
Having consulted relevant bureaux/departments, my consolidated reply to the Hon Chan's three questions is as follows:
Government properties are primarily used as offices for government departments and for the provision of public services. Departments responsible for managing the properties should ensure that the properties are put to optimal use, and release them for alternative uses (such as for use by other government departments, or commercial leasing) in accordance with the established mechanism if they become surplus to departments' operational needs. Generally speaking, the advertising spaces in government properties (including notice boards) are mainly provided for government departments to promote and publicise their policies, measures, services and events, and to disseminate public information. Departments responsible for managing the advertising spaces would review their uses from time to time, and lease out the relevant advertising spaces when they become surplus to the operational needs of the Government.
As far as rents from government properties are concerned, over the past five financial years (i.e. from 2019-20 to 2023-24), the Government's total rental income from advertising spaces amounted to some $85 million (excluding trading funds), accounting for around 2.3 per cent of the rental income from different categories of government properties. Details of the property names, addresses, numbers and display areas of advertising spaces currently available for letting by the Government for commercial advertising purposes are set out at Annex.
Ends/Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Issued at HKT 11:50
Issued at HKT 11:50
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