ICAC statement
2013-9-17
Following the release of the “Independent Review Committee (IRC) on ICAC’s Regulatory Systems and Procedures for Handling Official Entertainment, Gifts and Duty Visits” report last Thursday, the ICAC has noted that some media reports contained misunderstandings and the Commission wishes to take this opportunity to clarify and put the record straight.
Firstly, the ICAC wishes to point out that there is no question of concealing information in relation to expenses of gifts submitted to the Legislative Council (Legco) as mentioned in some media reports. To clearly account for the spending of the three d epartments, it has been the Commission’s standing practice to attribute expenses of gifts and souvenirs presented by the Commissioner and at Commission-wide functions to the “common service vote”, while those procured by individual departments to “individual departments vote”. At the request of Legco, the ICAC had submitted information on the “common service vote” in relation to the former Commissioner and Commission-wide functions based on the above standing accounting practice. Paragraph 4.2 of the IRC report has stated the difference of the two accounting votes.
As regards expenses of overseas duty visits, the ICAC has attributed subsistence allowances, expenditures on air tickets and transportation to the “duty visit vote” in accordance with guidelines issued by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau. According to government regulations, expenses on official entertainment, gifts and alcoholic drinks (including those incurred during overseas duty visits) will not b e listed under the “duty visit vote”.
When responding to legislators’ questions on expenses of overseas duty visits on two occasions in April this year, the ICAC had explicitly stated that those expenses included subsistence allowances, air tickets and transportation fees. There is absolutely no question of information co ncealment by the Commission.
Firstly, the ICAC wishes to point out that there is no question of concealing information in relation to expenses of gifts submitted to the Legislative Council (Legco) as mentioned in some media reports. To clearly account for the spending of the three d epartments, it has been the Commission’s standing practice to attribute expenses of gifts and souvenirs presented by the Commissioner and at Commission-wide functions to the “common service vote”, while those procured by individual departments to “individual departments vote”. At the request of Legco, the ICAC had submitted information on the “common service vote” in relation to the former Commissioner and Commission-wide functions based on the above standing accounting practice. Paragraph 4.2 of the IRC report has stated the difference of the two accounting votes.
As regards expenses of overseas duty visits, the ICAC has attributed subsistence allowances, expenditures on air tickets and transportation to the “duty visit vote” in accordance with guidelines issued by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau. According to government regulations, expenses on official entertainment, gifts and alcoholic drinks (including those incurred during overseas duty visits) will not b e listed under the “duty visit vote”.
When responding to legislators’ questions on expenses of overseas duty visits on two occasions in April this year, the ICAC had explicitly stated that those expenses included subsistence allowances, air tickets and transportation fees. There is absolutely no question of information co ncealment by the Commission.