Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho says tragedy Wang Fuk Court left profound impact on all involved departments and highlighted need to strengthen oversight
As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
“If contractors of such [poor] quality are operating in the private market, we must significantly heighten our vigilance when monitoring private projects,” she said, adding that authorities could consider adopting more unannounced inspections.
Ho said that while subsidised public housing estates typically hired contractors in the private market, those approved for public rental housing renovations usually met government standards, based on past experience.
Looking ahead, she said authorities could introduce a computerised system to randomly select subsidised projects for inspection. Officials could also conduct “blind audits”, where inspectors do not know in advance which areas they will examine.
Source: News - South China Morning Post
