After a deadly fire in Tai Po that claimed 168 lives, Hong Kong's government has proposed measures to strengthen building maintenance. Experts, however, warn that these pledges only scratch the surface of long-standing systemic issues in the sector.
In November, a blaze broke out during renovation works at Wang Fuk Court, a subsidised housing estate in Tai Po, killing 168 people—the city's deadliest fire in seven decades. The inferno laid bare entrenched problems in Hong Kong's building sector.
On Wednesday, at the first Legislative Council meeting of the year, officials unveiled proposals to close policy gaps, including requiring service providers seeking contracts to undergo background checks by police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), as well as screening for criminal and disciplinary records to qualify for a government platform.
While industry leaders described the measures as a step in the right direction, they cautioned that “the devil is in the detail,” with the proposals existing only as a framework lacking specifics. Lawmaker and town planner Andrew Lam Siu-lo said: “The proposed screening process must specify which criminal and disciplinary records are to be considered, and whether professional misconduct that stops short of a criminal offence will be included.”
Experts and industry figures argue that deeper systemic reforms and tougher laws are needed to address issues like bid-rigging and loopholes. Organisations such as the Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers and the Hong Kong Institute of Building Safety stress that the Minor Works Control System and Buildings Ordinance require further strengthening.
