The Government has been helping the owners of old buildings comply with the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance by extending the compliance deadline and setting up financial assistance schemes.
Secretary for Security TK Lai made the statement to legislators today, saying the Government understands the difficulties of owners in fulfilling the ordinance's requirements.
The ordinance stipulates composite and domestic buildings constructed on or before March 1, 1987, must upgrade their fire safety installations to meet modern standards.
The Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department will issue orders to building owners or occupiers to conduct the specified fire safety improvement works.
A total of 2,100 of these buildings have received the order in the past three years.
Failure to comply with the order within a year will bring prosecution.
However, Mr Lai said the departments often extended the deadline by a year or more so owners and occupiers have enough time to do the improvement works.
The Fire Services Department will adjust the order's requirements after considering the circumstances of a building.
"In recent years the Fire Services Department has also taken the initiative to study different improvised measures, with a view to alleviating the technical problems and lowering the costs of works."
For old buildings without an owners' corporation, the Home Affairs Department has assisted building owners in forming the corporations through its Building Management Professional Advisory Service Scheme so they can better co-ordinate the improvement works.
Mr Lai said the Government, the Housing Society and the Urban Renewal Authority have set up financial assistance schemes which subsidise fire safety improvement works under the ordinance.
"For general building maintenance works, the subsidy can reach $1.2 million for each Owners' Corporation, or $3,000 for each unit. For eligible owners with financial needs, they may apply for a subsidy up to $10,000.
"The Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners managed by the Housing Society provides a subsidy of up to $40,000 for elderly owners living in their own flats. Owners may also apply for loans of up to $1 million under the Building Safety Loan Scheme."
The Government will explore ways to provide further financial assistance to owners in need, he added.
