New measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s building maintenance regime after the deadly Tai Po fire only scratch the surface of long-standing issues that require deeper systemic reforms and tougher laws, according to experts and industry figures.
The damning verdict came after the government’s pledges and proposals on Wednesday to close policy gaps and tackle entrenched problems laid bare by the blaze at Wang Fuk Court.
At the first Legislative Council meeting of the year, officials unveiled a raft of proposals, including a new requirement for service providers seeking contracts to undergo background checks by the police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), as well as criminal and disciplinary record screening to qualify for a government platform.
The inferno broke out in November during renovation works at Wang Fuk Court, a subsidised housing estate in Tai Po, claiming 168 lives – the city’s deadliest fire in seven decades.
While describing the measures as a step in the right direction, industry leaders warned that “the devil is in the detail”, as the government’s proposals currently exist only as a framework lacking specific content.
“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,” lawmaker and town planner Andrew Lam Siu-lo said.
