Hong Kong civil servant in charge of reusable mask giveaway admits transparency shortcomings, promises replacement filter production will go out to tender
- Annie Choi says she was not ‘sensitive enough’ when she did not initially reveal identity of the CuMask+ manufacturer
- Contract for production of mask filters will be put out to tender, head of the Innovation and Technology Bureau says
A senior civil servant overseeing the distribution of reusable masks to all Hongkongers has promised to put the production of their replacement filters out to tender after admitting to shortcomings in the transparency of the original contract awarded by the government.
Annie Choi Suk-han, permanent secretary of the Innovation and Technology Bureau, on Friday rejected suggestions the government had intentionally hidden the identity of the manufacturer chosen for the HK$320 million (US$41 million) mask giveaway, saying bypassing the open tender process was justified because of the urgency of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But she said she was not “sensitive enough” to transparency demands and took too long to reveal who the manufacturer was, adding that changes would be made when selecting the producer of the replacement filters.
More than 2.5 million Hongkongers, as of Friday, have registered to receive a free washable mask, which was manufactured by Crystal International Group, the Hong Kong-listed company awarded the contract without facing competition.
Admitting flaws in the process, Choi told a press conference: “Before Tuesday, when we announced the project, the understanding we had with the related parties, involved in offering storage space, production and disinfection, was that they wanted to keep a low profile … They were involved in this to make a contribution to Hong Kong and didn’t want others to think they were seeking publicity.
“If you ask me now, it might be that I was not sensitive enough. I might have expected to disclose the information at the very beginning.”
Choi added: “The reason we talked to HKRITA is because of the pandemic … I also got the internal approval from the government. I had no need to hide anything.”
Choi eventually confirmed on Thursday that the masks were being made by Crystal International Group, mostly at a facility in Vietnam. She also disclosed the names of other Hong Kong companies involved in the project.
