📋 Tender Overview
Following are the opening remarks English translation by the Secretary for Development Ms Bernadette Linn on works policy areas at the special meeting of the Legislative Council LegCo Finance Committee today April 10
Chairman
In 202526 the total estimated expenditure of Works Branch of the Development Bureau DEVB and its departments is about 245784 million which is about 12945 million higher than the revised estimate for last year This is mainly because Works Branch and its departments have more projects involving capital expenditure and the expenditure of such projects will vary in accordance with the changes in demand and cash flow each year In this session of the special meetings of Finance Committee I will highlight the work of the DEVB in the works portfolio
Controlling costs of public works projects and enhancing costeffectiveness
Land and infrastructure development are important investments for the longterm development of Hong Kong While taking forward the development projects we have to endeavour to control the costs of public works projects and take measures in four major directions
First we will enhance our project procurement models one of the measures is the adoption of centralised procurement We will take the lead in formulating specific centralised procurement options for two types of construction products namely Modular Integrated Construction MiC modules and steel reinforcement within this year
Second we have commissioned the Building Technology Research Institute to review and enhance Hong Kongs building standards and compare and complement the differences in testing and certification requirements between standards in different regions with a view to promoting local application of highquality and costeffective construction materials from the Mainland and overseas
Third we will continue to take the lead in expediting the promotion of construction digitalisation and applied research and development and advocate advanced technologies such as high productivity construction to reduce manpower demand and enhance costeffectiveness We will also step up promotion of advanced construction technologies through the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund
Fourth the DEVB will in collaboration with various policy bureauxdepartments continue to take forward measures of streamlining development control including promoting selfcertification introducing more arrangements for phased submission of information reviewing the need for submitting various technical assessments and streamlining land administration process and approval process etc
Promoting professional development of construction industry
Another major work is promoting professional development of construction industry as we need talent at different levels to sustain the development of our construction industry We have set aside 15 million for the work of the Centre of Excellence for Major Project Leaders CoE over the next two years to enhance the professionalism innovation capabilities and costeffectiveness management of the construction industry The courses of the CoE will facilitate exchanges transcending geographical and sectoral boundaries
We will also extend the Onthejob Training Subsidy Pilot Scheme In the past two academic years about 1 000 higher diploma graduates were subsidised to enrol in parttime constructionrelated degree programmes under the scheme To assist more young people in grasping opportunities for upward mobility we and the Construction Industry Council CIC will jointly allocate funding totalling about 95 million to continue the provision of onthejob training subsidies over the next two academic years The subsidy amount is the same as that before It is anticipated to benefit an additional 1 000 employed trainees
Noting that there has been a reduction in private construction output recently we have launched another measure to subsidise employers to employ and retain young construction graduates for the sustained development of the talent pool of the industry The CIC will allocate around 150 million to provide onthejob training for about 2 500 graduates of degree in engineering architecture surveying planning and landscape architecture and assist them in attaining professional qualifications This subsidy scheme has been open for application from last month
Promoting cooperation with the Mainland Greater Bay Area GBA in construction industry
Another major work related to the construction industry is promoting cooperation among the construction sectors in Hong Kong the Mainland as well as the GBA in order to tie in with the strategy of highquality development of GuangdongHong KongMacao GBA
We have cooperated with Mainland authorities and local professional bodies and successfully sought recognition of qualifications in the Mainland for professionals of Hong Kongs construction industry ie Professional Title Last year pilot evaluation was successfully implemented in five engineering disciplines with 207 Hong Kong engineers obtaining Mainland Professional Title qualifications through the mechanism as of now The evaluation mechanism will be regularised in the middle of this year and its coverage will be expanded to other constructionrelated disciplines creating favourable conditions for their development in the Mainland
The governments of Guangdong Hong Kong and Macao are also actively pressing ahead with the formulation of GBA standards and taking forward the One Examination Multiple Certification arrangement We will mainly follow the higher standards among the three places and cover the key elements in the individual syllabuses of the three places so as to uplift the training quality of the construction industry in the whole GBA
We piloted the GBA standards and took forward the One Examination Multiple Certification for painters and bricklayers last month and will establish the GBA standards for th
