The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) is set to play a bigger role in overseeing buildings’ maintenance works to crack down on bid-rigging, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said on Wednesday.
At the first meeting of the eighth-term Legislative Council, Chan, who led a task force to probe into the circumstances surrounding the Tai Po fire — which broke out on Nov 26 and claimed 161 lives — and improve relevant regulations, suggested using “Smart Tender” to step up the URA’s functions. “Smart Tender” is a fee-based service platform that can assist owners’ organizations in hiring credible consultants and contractors for building renovation works.
“Smart Tender” will establish a strict “pre-approval list” of consultants and contractors, and only parties on the list can participate in biddings related to renovation, Chan said.
Maintenance works accepting government subsidies must use the platform, and the URA will, on behalf of property owners, conduct tenders and evaluations, and also determine the winning consultants and contractors, Chan added.
For projects using “Smart Tender” that have not applied for government subsidies, the URA will also conduct tenders and evaluations, and then provide suggestions for the owners’ consideration, he said.
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Chan said the URA will conduct random inspections and monitor the maintenance works’ progress, and ensure government subsidies are disbursed in line with actual progress. The URA will also require consultants and contractors to submit reports at critical project milestones, such as when there are significant changes to the scope of work or increases in project costs.
Upon completion of the project, the performance of consultants and contractors will be evaluated based on satisfaction surveys of homeowners, which will serve as one of the reference factors determining their continued inclusion on the “pre-approval list”, Chan added.
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs Alice Mak Mei-kuen said at the same meeting that the government will set an upper limit for authorization votes for housing estates’ maintenance resolutions to prevent instances of “assigned or signed without consent”, thereby enhancing transparency.
The signing status of the authorization votes for each unit will be posted within the buildings, added Mak.
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According to the Building Management Ordinance, large-scale maintenance procurements must be passed with at least 5 percent of all owners or 100 owners — whichever is fewer — voting in person, Mak said, adding that the government requires owners' corporations to vary thresholds for owner voting based on the contract amounts when deciding on works or expenditure items.
