Hong Kong to set up building maintenance support body by January
Hong Kong's finance chief announced a new statutory body to oversee building maintenance and repairs, following a fatal incident. The Building Maintenance Support and Services Bureau will start operations in January, backed by HK$300 million in government funding, aiming to assist owners with inspec
Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan said the government will establish a Building Maintenance Support and Services Bureau to lead building maintenance and repair strategies, following a fatal incident at Tai Po's Wang Fuk Court. The bureau, a non-statutory company wholly owned by the Financial Secretary's Corporation, will assist owners with inspections and repair works, providing agency services at different stages.
Chan said the government will fully support the bureau's preparatory work, with services to be launched from January next year. The authorities will announce service fees and subsidy levels in due course. The government aims to complete the bureau's registration and board appointment by the end of this year, and has begun recruiting a chief executive and other staff.
The bureau will take over from the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) to provide new support services. It will prepare three pre-qualification lists by year-end, and assign building inspection consultants to help owners with project tendering in the first quarter of next year.
Chan said the bureau will charge reasonable fees for its support services, aiming to achieve self-financing in the long term. This year's budget has set aside HK$300 million for the scheme, including HK$100 million as start-up funding and HK$200 million for fee subsidies for owners using the services.
The Development Bureau and the URA have consulted stakeholders on implementation details. Chan said the new support services differ significantly in scope and depth from the URA's previous 'Tender Safe' service. He said the measure demonstrates the government's role and allows the URA to focus on urban renewal.