Michael Rowse

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Michael Rowse (盧維思) is currently the Director-General of InvestHK, a department of the Hong Kong Government. He has been nicknamed "Mickey Rowse", in an allusion to the Disney character[1].

Rowse is one of the few foreign-born civil servants in post-handover Hong Kong. Since 1997, according to the Basic Law, government departments can only be headed by officers with no right of abode in a foreign country; this has resulted in the departure of some non-Chinese civil servants from the colonial administration. Rowse decided to stay on, becoming a naturalised citizen of the People's Republic of China and a Hong Kong permanent resident.

Rowse was formerly a close aide to Donald Tsang when he was Financial Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury. He held the post of Commissioner for Tourism until June 2000.

Rowse had set up InvestHK, and was appointed its Director General on 1 July 1 2000, after negotiating the Hong Kong Disneyland deal in November 1999[1].


[edit] Harbour Fest controversy

Main article: Harbour Fest

The Hong Kong Harbour Fest was a Government underwritten event in late 2003 as part of a HK$1 billion program to revive the economy after SARS. It organised by InvestHK in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce.[2]

In the aftermath, Rowse was held responsible for failing to ensure that InvestHK critically examine the HarbourFest budget, and fully and adequately advise the working group on the finances. Consequently, he was fined one month's salary in October 2005[3].

Legislator Cheung Man Kwong criticised the government for making Rowse a scapegoat for ministerial failure.[4]. Columnist Jake van der Kamp felt that Rowse had been let down by Donald Tsang, whose responsibility as Chief Secretary it ultimately was to oversee the Harbour Fest expenditure[5].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Marcal Joanilho. "'Mickey Rowse' may squeak through", The Standard, October 30, 2003. Retrieved on 2008-02-27. 
  2. ^ Concerts meant to revive economy, The Standard, February 26, 2008
  3. ^ Cheung, Jimmy; Dennnis Eng. "Rowse punished for Harbour Fest failures", South China Morning Post, February 9, 2007. 
  4. ^ Cheung, Jimmy. "Lawmakers challenge Rowse punishment", South China Morning Post, January 28, 2007, pp. 1. 
  5. ^ van der Kamp, Jake. "Shabby treatment of Rowse kills any hope of civil service initiative", South China Morning Post, January 30, 2007. 
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