Will Tai Po fire reforms wipe out collusion in Hong Kong’s building maintenance industry?
A raft of reforms to overhaul Hong Kong’s building maintenance sector has been hailed as a bold first step in tackling bid-rigging and other deep-rooted problems, but observers said its success would depend on the determination and persistence to implement them to restore public trust. They said the reforms signalled a departure from the government’s long-standing reliance on the self-discipline…
Reforms aimed at overhauling Hong Kong's building maintenance sector have been welcomed as a bold first step in tackling bid-rigging and other deep-rooted problems. However, observers have cautioned that its success will depend on the government's determination and persistence in implementing them to restore public trust.
Among the measures announced by the government, several directly address calls from professional groups and lawmakers. These include setting up an independent body to support homeowners in renovation projects and criminalizing bid-rigging. Other measures involve legal reforms and enhancements of oversight in the industry.
The government's decision to hold Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin accountable for political responsibility following the Tai Po fire, which claimed 168 lives, has also been commended. Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the think tank, believes that the array of measures reflects the government's determination to kick-start a "comprehensive reform" targeting deep-seated problems arising from the city's ageing buildings.
While the reforms signal a departure from the government's reliance on the self-discipline of industry professionals, some observers note the absence of measures to tackle falsified authorisation letters and the lack of a transparent system for blacklisting unscrupulous contractors. Executive councillor Ronny Tong Ka-wah acknowledged that the reforms represent a "paradigm shift" in the government's stance on regulatory oversight, emphasizing that the city's building maintenance system inherited from the colonial era relied heavily on self-discipline to avoid financial burden on public coffers.
Despite the comprehensive package of reforms, lawmaker Christine Fong Kwok-shan has called for the government to address the issue of forged authorisation letters and establish a formal self-reporting mechanism and blacklist to prevent bad actors from entering the bidding market.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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