A new centralized data system that will help the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government departments share information and coordinate their oversight of the city’s building maintenance and renovation work is set to begin operating in May or June next year, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki revealed on Friday.

He said he was confident that the vast majority of measures proposed in response to recommendations from a report by an independent committee probing last year’s deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po could start implementation within months.

Chan made the remarks on a radio program, a day after Thursday’s release of the report by the judge-led independent committee set up shortly after the disaster.

The report contained 120 recommendations that now underpin the government’s proposed reforms to crack down on bid-rigging in building maintenance work, improve how complaints are handled and restructure the Buildings Department to boost its efficiency.

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Chan, who is leading a steering committee tasked with reviewing the independent inquiry’s recommendations and overseeing implementation of the proposed reforms, said the committee would hold its first meeting within November to examine in detail how to carry out the proposed measures.

Chan explained that the steering committee would assign the 120 recommendations to relevant departments and would also name a lead department if more than one is involved. The departments would need time to study and carry out the changes required, he said.

Each responsible department would be required to report on its plans for implementing or refining the proposed measures, Chan added, and he will track the timetable under the guiding principles of “rigor, speed and effectiveness”.

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Chan said some measures were already being taken forward or put into effect, including amendments to six ordinances that the government is set to table to the Legislative Council by the end of this year. The goal is to entail sufficient power for the law enforcers and regulators to implement the law, Chan said.

Among them are the Fire Services Ordinance and the Competition Ordinance. As for the centralized data system, it could take several months to build as it involves converting existing data and developing the platform, he noted.

Currently, all departments have their own data banks, Chan said, adding that the centralized data system will include inspection records, convictions for non-compliance and records on professional misconduct.

It will also leverage an artificial intelligence tool to proactively analyze the data to find out problems, in a bid to prevent and improve the situation.

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The central database system will feature a reporting mechanism in the future, allowing different departments to instantly see when a contractor is rated as substandard and issue warnings, Chan added.

He said he believes this will be helpful for reviewing contractors' work, and added that if contractors wish to take on government projects, they must do a quality job and refrain from cutting corners or passing off shoddy work as genuine.

Contact the writer at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com