Contract Row: Sophia Chan To Quit Honorary Post

Health Secretary Sophia Chan on Tuesday denied any links to a multi-million dollar government contract awarded to an association of which she was the patron and announced that she will end her honorary role to avoid any charges of a conflict of interest.

The HK$284 million contract to operate the Kwai Tsing District Health Centre was awarded to the Kwai Tsing Safe Community and Healthy City Association on Monday.

Local media raised concerns over possible conflicts of interest, noting three bureau heads, including Chan, are honorary patrons of this body and Kwai Tsing District Council vice chairman Chow Yick-hay is the association’s chairman.

Chan stressed that she knew nothing about the association’s bid, and did not take part in the tendering process.

“The tendering process of the government is actually open and fair, and also, it involves colleagues from the Food and Health Bureau, as well as the central tender board which is outside the Food and Health Bureau,” she said.

“I was not involved in the entire process and I did not know who had actually put in tenders,” she added.

Chan told RTHK's Janice Wong that she will now review other honorary roles she has taken up at healthcare organisations to see if she also needs to resign from them.

“I will make a decision as to whether I should resign from those positions as well, because there will be more of these district health centre networks coming up in the rest of the 17 districts in Hong Kong,” she said.