Dinner in Shandong, China, costs SA taxpayers $36,000
SA taxpayers have paid for a $36,000 gala dinner in China, which included hundreds of kilos of SA seafood, three top chefs and eight fashion models — but an independent review called the meal “overkill”.
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THE State Government cannot say how much money it spends on trade missions each year but it can be revealed it funded a $36,000 gala dinner in China comprising hundreds of kilograms of SA seafood.
An independent review described the produce shipped in for the feast as “overkill’’.
The dinner in Shandong was part of a trade mission held last year which also featured eight fashion models, three chefs and dozens of guests of the Department of State Development, according to documents obtained under Freedom of Information.
A consultant’s review of the trade mission in May last year, however, reported an “overkill in terms of shipping produce” for the dinner and added the “gala dinner planning ... could be better”, the documents show.
The review also looked at trade missions to India and South East Asia and found there was a “post-mission fall away’’ on the “momentum generated’’ during the trade missions.
“While the delegate experience is almost invariably a strong one, momentum is lost in the ‘return to reality’,’’ the report found.
It recommended developing a “post-mission checklist’’ for SA companies “as to how they can leverage the time and cost in investment in the mission.’’
The report also said the department should apply a “Value for Money’’ standard to determine “if there is any disproportion between cost and benefit’’ of its trade missions.
While the government said the department spent around $1.6 million on trade missions to China, South East Asia and India last financial year it could not provide figures to the Opposition for total government spending for all trade missions in this period.
Opposition trade spokesman Tim Whetstone said the Government was ignoring “a recommendation from a review it commissioned, that a whole-of-government cost should be recorded for each trade mission to determine value for money”
“If the State Government has nothing to hide, why does it continually fail to record and release a whole-of-government cost for South Australia’s overseas trade missions?’’ Mr Whetstone, who obtained the documents, asked.
“Surely, there is a basic administrative requirement.’’
Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith accused Mr Whetstone having “no experience or understanding of the planning involved in putting together an international trade mission.’’
“Would the Opposition rather South Australia stays at home rather than undertake the successful calendar of trade missions to promote the state and give our industries important international exposure?’’ he asked.
“In 2015-16 the State Government has achieved its economic priority target to increase the number of South Australian businesses exporting by at least 50 per annum, in many instances as a direct result of the outbound business missions.’’
