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The Minor Works Control System will be fully implemented tomorrow (December 31). The Buildings Department today (December 30) again reminded members of the public and the trade that they should comply with the requirements of the new system.
Any person who wants to carry out any of the 118 items of minor works designated under the Buildings Ordinance should register with the Buildings Department and be included in the list of registered contractors beforehand. The department also reminded members of the public not to carry out minor works by themselves. They should instead appoint prescribed registered contractors to do so. A prescribed registered contractor means a registered minor works contractor, a registered general building contractor or a registered specialist contractor registered for the respective category of specialised works.
"The Minor Works Control System aims to simplify the longstanding statutory procedures in order to provide a new, lawful, simple, safe and convenient means for building owners to carry out small-scale building works designated as minor works, such as the installation of supporting frames for air conditioners, drying racks and canopies over windows, repair of structural members or external walls of buildings and removal of unauthorised structures," a spokesman for the Buildings Department said.
The Buildings Department started the registration of existing practitioners in December 2009. Practitioners had to complete an appropriate training course before they could be registered as minor works contractors. The department has also issued practice notes and technical guidelines to the contractors to assist them to carry out works safely and comply with the relevant standards.
For the proper operation of the new system, provisions in relation to legal obligations, duties and sanctions were clearly stipulated in the relevant regulations. Simplified procedures will also encourage property owners to observe the requirements. Pamphlets and other publicity material have also been provided to them to explain the requirements of the Minor Works Control System relevant to property owners and the various trades.
Section 28(1) of the Buildings (minor works) Regulation provides that designated minor works must be carried out by prescribed registered contractors. Contractors who are not on the list of registered contractors should not carry out such works. The Buildings Department will carry out inspections to ascertain compliance with the statutory requirements and ensure the quality and standard of the minor works carried out. Disciplinary and prosecution actions will be taken against non-compliance.
Any person who carries out the designated minor works in contravention of the Buildings Ordinance or its subsidiary Building Regulation will be liable, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $500,000 and 18 months' imprisonment. It is also an offence for any person to knowingly not engage prescribed building professionals or prescribed registered contractors to carry out minor works. Offenders will be liable to a maximum fine at level 6, i.e. $100,000.
A "validation scheme" is established under the Minor Works Control System to facilitate members of the public to retain, after validation, minor household installations including air-conditioner supporting frames, drying racks and small canopies constructed without the prior approval of plans from the Buildings Department before the implementation of the new system. Those minor household installations that may be validated through the validation scheme are "prescribed building or building works" under the Buildings (Minor Works) Regulation.
The Buildings Department already launched an extensive publicity and public education campaigns, including TV and radio announcements in the public interest. General guidelines on the minor works control system, pamphlets and posters were distributed to property management companies and the public to introduce the statutory requirements of the new system. Technical guidelines were also issued to the registered minor works contractors and practitioners for their reference.
An advisory service will be made available to building owners, minor works practitioners and other stakeholders to provide technical advice and answer their questions. Enquiries about the contractors registration system can be directed to the Buildings Department by email (enquiry@bd.gov.hk) or phone (2626 1616). Further information about the Minor Works Control System can be found on the Buildings Department website (www.bd.gov.hk).
Up to December 28, 2010, the department had received around 5,100 applications for registration as registered minor works contractors. Up to the same date, around 1,000 (company) and 1,100 (individuals) minor works contractors had been successfully registered. Under registered general building contractors and registered specialist contractors, there are 640 and 606 registered contractors respectively on the list. The lists of registered contractors have been published in the gazette and are uploaded to the Buildings Department website for public reference.
Ends/Thursday, December 30, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:43
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