Govt pledges 'one-stop liaison service' for homeowners

Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong announced on Monday that liaison officers will be appointed to manage inquiries and complaints from homeowners related to upcoming building renovation projects. This initiative is part of the government's broader reforms to the building maintenance sector, aimed at preventing a recurrence of the Wang Fuk Court fire tragedy that claimed 168 lives last year. A report outlining the failings of contractors and government agencies in this incident was released simultaneously.

The Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit (ICU) will be dismantled and substituted by a Public Housing Building Control Section this month. Project-specific teams will be established to support housing estates undergoing substantial maintenance and renovation works. A liaison officer will serve as the primary point of contact between homeowners' corporations and individual homeowners.

Wong, acting as the Secretary for Housing at the Legislative Council housing panel meeting, explained that the liaison officers will keep homeowners updated on progress. Currently, the ICU handles various professional tasks, making it impractical for homeowners to identify the individual responsible for each area. The one-stop liaison officer will address all such concerns, including maintenance-related complaints.

Wong also revealed that the government plans to employ artificial intelligence to expedite processes, such as auditing and analyzing documents. While AI can rapidly process large volumes of information, it will not make final judgments; human oversight will remain essential. Any issues detected by AI will be investigated manually.