In response to media enquiries on the maintenance and repairs (M&R) works at Kwai Fong Estate, a spokesman for the Housing Department (HD) today (February 7) replied as follows:

     The M&R works of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) must be carried out in strict compliance with established regulations and instructions. The existing mechanism also involves various levels of monitoring as well as check and balance. Based on experience, the HD will also review the mechanism from time to time for continuous improvement.

     The M&R works of each public housing estate have to follow stringent procedures for approval. Each public housing estate has to work out an annual estate action plan, including major M&R projects to be carried out for that year. As for outsourced estates, contract property services agents (PSAs) will, according to the conditions and needs of individual estates, propose maintenance and repairs items for the consideration of Property Service Managers of the HD, followed by the examination and recommendation of the HD’s Senior Property Service Managers and final approval by the HD’s Regional Chief Managers.

     Prior to the commencement of each approved project, the PSAs are required to provide relevant works information and detailed arrangements for the examination of related HD officials. Based on the estimate of the project, the proposal will be submitted for the approval of HD officials with corresponding delegated financial authority before the works can be carried out.

     According to the HA’s instructions, HD officials at different ranks have different delegated financial authority. For example, HD works professionals are authorised to issue works orders valued at $1 million or less to designated district term maintenance contractor under the district term maintenance contracts.

     District term maintenance contractors are appointed by the HD by tenders on a regular basis. During the contract period, the contractors will take up the daily maintenance of various estates within the regions concerned in accordance with the schedule of rates stipulated in the contracts.

     For outsourced housing estates, according to the existing mechanism and contractual requirements, technical staff of the PSAs shall be responsible for the works arrangements of the estates, including routine supervision of the progress, quality and site management of works as well as checking and acceptance of completed works.

     In addition, according to the HD's monitoring mechanism, the Department's Property Service Administration Unit will conduct additional random checks every month, including surprise inspections and reviews. The HD also has a central random check mechanism under which staff members from the HD headquarters will carry out random sample checks and assessments on the service delivery or works management provided by the PSAs. If any deficiencies are found, the HD will, in accordance with contract requirements, at once instruct the concerned PSAs and works contractors to rectify them up to the required standard. If the contractor still fails to make improvements, the HD will issue warning letters according to circumstances, reflect the contractor's performance at regular contract review meetings, and give the contractor a low mark under the assessment scoring system. If there is still no improvement, the case will be reported to the HD's Contractors Review Committee.

     As for the case of Kwai Fong Estate, tiles at the common areas of the domestic blocks at the estate have been in use for years. The surfaces of many tiles are darkened, which aroused grave concern of the tenants and the Estate Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) of the estate. Since the daily cleansing of the general cleansing contractor cannot solve the problem, the HD therefore followed the above-mentioned mechanism and instructed the district term maintenance contractor in 2015 to clean the darkened tiles with specialised chemicals as a trial. With the positive result, the associated tile surface improvement works for five building blocks of the estate with more severe darkened tiles problem were carried out in 2015/16 and 2016/17. Tenants and members of the EMAC were very satisfied with the outcome. In the annual estate action plan, the related works were initiated for solving the surface problem of the tiles, which were not equivalent to replacing the tiles. As for the door replacement carried out for the estate, the associated work orders were issued by various HD officials, including senior maintenance surveyor, according to respective delegated financial authority.

     Since suspected unlawful practice was alleged in the case of Kwai Fong Estate, the established practice of referring it to a law enforcement authority for follow-up/investigation was followed. Thus, no further comments on other details can be made at this juncture.

Ends/Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Issued at HKT 23:19

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