Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, Secretary for Development Paul Chan and Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah visited the 50-year-old Kwun Tong Mansion today, which was renovated using subsidies from the Operation Building Bright scheme.
The scheme, launched in 2009 with a total allocation of up to $3.5 billion, aims create more construction sector jobs and improve building safety.
Mrs Lam noted that the scheme has been effective on both counts, as around 48,700 jobs have been created and as a result, the sector's unemployment rate has dropped significantly to just over 4%.
More than 3,000 old buildings have been granted subsidies to carry out repair and maintenance works since the scheme's launch and the living environment of more than 150,000 households has been significantly improved.
The Government will examine measures to minimise bid-rigging in building maintenance projects through enhanced technical support for property owners and will announce details in due course, Secretary for Development Paul Chan said.
He added that the Urban Renewal Authority and Housing Society provide maintenance cost evaluations for reference by building owners participating in the scheme, so that they can assess whether the tender prices are comparable with market levels before selecting the suitable tender.
Secretary for Home Affairs Lau Kong-wah noted that the Home Affairs Department also launched the "AP Easy" Building Maintenance Advisory Service Pilot Scheme to offer in-depth and tailor-made professional advice on carrying out maintenance projects.
