John Lee backs study of independent building repairs body
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said a proposal for an independent professional body to manage building maintenance deserves further consideration after it was raised at a district consultation on 9 August. The suggestion aims to let owners focus on paying a fair share while a trusted body oversees works on ageing buildings.
Key Points
- At the second district consultation on Hong Kong’s first five-year plan and the 2026 Policy Address, an engineer proposed a dedicated building maintenance authority under the Development Bureau.
- The engineer said owners and owners’ corporations often lack technical knowledge, making it hard to supervise works and easier for contractors or professionals to abuse concentrated power.
- He proposed the authority should focus on repairs for buildings more than 30 years old, with staff seconded from departments including the Fire Services Department and Labour Department
- Sing Tao reported the engineer said Hong Kong has more than 10,000 buildings aged over 30, creating substantial maintenance demand and risks of missing records, cost overruns and delays
- Lee said a professional, credible, independent and well-regulated body could let residents worry mainly about how much they must contribute, without corruption or exploitation.
Why It Matters
If pursued, the idea could shift oversight of old-building repairs away from lay owners and owners’ corporations toward a central professional mechanism, potentially changing how major maintenance projects are procured and supervised. Lee also indicated that, beyond amending laws, the government would move in that direction if such an agency can be established