Policy Statement & Submission

Our Ref: SN/3
13 January 2006

Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau
9/F, Murray Building, Garden Road
Hong Kong
(Attn: Assistant Secretary (UR)4)


Dear Sir,

The HKGCC's Real Estate and Infrastructure Committee would like to present its views on the subject consultation as under.

The Committee welcomes and supports the overall objective of improving building safety and living environment that the proposals are aimed at achieving. The Committee also concurs with the view that homeowners and landlords should be held responsible for the upkeep of their respective buildings. To this end, members feel that the Manager of buildings, whether via Owner's Committees or Owners' Corporations (OCs) are vital in dictating the effectiveness of the proposed mandatory building inspection scheme (MBIS). In other words, we believe that the prevalence of OCs in one form or another is an important pre-requisite to a successful MBIS.

The Committee also advocates that the MBIS adopts health and safety issues as core elements of its brief. These are especially relevant and cogent in the context of prevention against infectious diseases and other outbreaks that can have serious socio-economic repercussions as evidenced in the events of 2003.

As regards funding, the Committee notes that government is already providing short-term assistance in the form of interest-free loans and subsidy for purchase of third-party insurance. As pointed out in the consultation paper, it is also in the owners' interest to commit to maintaining proper care of their buildings, which includes commitment of a financial nature. As it is envisaged that the onus will be ultimately on owners to comply with prescribed building standards, the Committee proposes that further thought should be given to the undertaking of various funding options best suited to the different circumstances of building owners and occupants, as well as prevailing building conditions and age. We suggest that the Bureau take into this account to ensure that the viability of MBIS would not be compromised over the longer term.

We hope you will find our views useful.

Yours faithfully,

Eden Woon
CEO