Hong Kong leader pledges building maintenance reforms after fatal Tai Po fire

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to overhaul Hong Kong's building maintenance regime and improve emergency response following the fatal Tai Po fire last year. The government will study criminalising bid-rigging in major building works and submit a proposal to the Legislative Council later this year. The policy address also proposes introducing "pre-qualified lists" of consultants and contractors, vetted through background checks, to help owners select professionals for renovation works.

The government will accept applications for the list later this month and roll it out by the end of the year. Additional amendments to the Buildings Ordinance are being considered to strengthen oversight and increase penalties for large renovation projects. These could include requiring major renovation works at multi-block estates to be carried out in phases or introducing tighter oversight of minor works at large-scale maintenance projects not currently requiring departmental approval.

The final proposals will be tabled after the independent committee investigating the Tai Po fire's causes, expected to submit its report next month. The disaster's lead counsel, Victor Dawes SC, attributed it to six human factors and systemic regulatory failures. The Fire Services Department plans to optimise its mobilisation protocol, command systems, casualty handling procedures, and leverage artificial intelligence and technology to improve efficiency, including introducing IoT fire alarms to cover old buildings of seven storeys or more by year-end.