The Independent Panel of Inquiry on the Harbour Fest submitted its report to Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa today. The report will be made public on May 17.

The panel has set out in its report observations and conclusions and made a number of recommendations for the future.

Mr Tung thanked panel members Moses Cheng and T. Brian Stevenson for their time and efforts in conducting the inquiry.

In the report, the panel examined the assessment and approval of the proposal, evaluated the organisers' work in implementing the project and the Government's role and mechanism in funding and monitoring the process. 

Wide consultation

Over the nearly five months of its inquiry, the panel met with 28 individuals, some of whom on more than one occasion, and received written submission or information from 63 individuals or organisations.

The panel said the inquiry has been a long and tiring process, and the most regretful is that what set out to be a well-intentioned initiative to relaunch Hong Kong after SARS ended up with unexpected controversy.

The panel has made observations and conclusions based on information available, and believed there are a number of lessons to be learned.

The independent panel was commissioned by Mr Tung in December to conduct an inquiry into the procedures involved in the assessment, approval, organisation and monitoring of the Harbour Fest event, identify deficiencies and responsible parties where appropriate, and to make recommendations for improvements.