HK Gov't Spends More Money on ComputersThe Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government spent more money to buy computers and related equipment last year, according to a spokesman of the Government Supplies Department.Hong Kong's total governmental purchase value in 1999 represented an increase of 35.2 percent over the 1998 figure, mainly due to a greater number of goods and service items purchased, Director of Government Supplies Nigel Shipman said Wednesday. The product of the highest purchase value was computer equipment and software at 2.5 billion HK dollars (320 million U.S. dollars), accounting for 38 percent of the total, he said. Other high value products include pharmaceuticals, aircraft and spares, hospital and medical equipment and telecommunications equipment and spares. "We bought the computer equipment and software for use by schools and by various government departments," he explained. " This was roughly double the 1998 figure." The 1999 purchase statistics released Wednesday by the department showed that contracts at a total value of 6.79 billion HK dollars ( 870 million U.S. dollars) were awarded for the purchases of goods and related services in 1999 on behalf of over 80 government departments and some non-government organizations including the Hospital Authority. |
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