Where exactly does the buck stop? Senior Hong Kong civil servants are asking themselves that question after the unveiling of a new accountability system targeting department heads. They point to the deadly Tai Po fire last year as an example. An independent committee investigating the tragedy heard evidence officials gave contractors at the blaze-hit Wang…
Hong Kong authorities have proposed new offences with tougher punishments for fire installation contractors who fail to obtain prior approval before deactivating firefighting systems or do not report malfunctions within 24 hours, in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, the South China Morning Post has learned. Other proposed changes included drastically increasing…
Hong Kong authorities will take public opinion into account when deciding whether to trigger a new investigation mechanism to hold senior officials accountable, the city’s civil service minister has said. Permanent secretaries of bureaus, who are not covered by the proposed “Heads of Department Accountability System”, will also face scrutiny if they are found to…
Hong Kong’s leader has pledged to enhance the city’s governance in public security and safety, and carry out systemic reform following the deadly Tai Po fire, describing it as a key task in safeguarding national security. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s remarks came after Xia Baolong, Beijing’s top official overseeing Hong Kong affairs, said people…
A Hong Kong man has been jailed for 11 months and fined HK$4,500 (US$574) for selling his digital wallet so it could be used by a crime syndicate to receive HK$25,500 defrauded from donors who believed the money would be used to help victims of the Tai Po fire. West Kowloon Court heard on Thursday…
Hong Kong labour authorities have ruled out setting up designated smoking areas under a proposed ban on lighting up at construction sites due to “enforcement difficulties”, while pledging to deploy drones with heat sensors to strengthen inspections. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum also said on Monday that the planned smoking ban – which was…
Residents of Wang Chi House, the only building of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in Tai Po which was not directly affected in last November’s fatal fire, briefly return to their flats to retrieve personal belongings. (ADAM LAM / CHINA DAILY) From April 20 to May 4, over 1,700 households displaced by last year’s…
A lawyer for the Hong Kong government has rejected “groundless” assertions that its surveyors conspired with a renovation contractor at the centre of the city’s deadliest fire in decades to conceal flammable materials used at the site, suggesting the firm did not have enough time to plan a deception before a crucial inspection. But Jenkin…
Some Hong Kong residents displaced by the deadly Tai Po fire remain in limbo as they complained of rude or unhelpful officers on a government outreach team who failed to answer their questions about authorities’ long-term resettlement plan. The 100-strong engagement team, which started operations on March 2 along with an inquiry hotline, was tasked…
Some affected residents have continued to express reservations over a Hong Kong government plan to resettle survivors of the Tai Po fire, saying they prefer in situ development as they fear an “unfair” flat selection process will leave their families with smaller homes. The residents urged the government to provide more clarity on how the…