The Development Bureau (DEVB) and the Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Guangdong Province (DHURDGP) jointly held the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Construction Projects Promotion Conference today (December 16) to introduce architectural design and municipal construction projects in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) that will be made available for enterprises in Hong Kong covering architectural, surveying, planning, landscape architectural and engineering disciplines to get involved.
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     Co-chaired by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, and the Deputy Director-General of DHURDGP, Mr Cai Ying, the conference was held simultaneously in Hong Kong and Qianhai, Shenzhen, via video conferencing. Attending the conference in Hong Kong were representatives from the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Qianhai Authority (QA), the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Construction Industry Council and related professional institutes, associations, professional registration boards and enterprises.

     At the conference, the DHURDGP introduced over 30 projects in different cities of the GBA, with categories covering architectural design, cost estimation and municipal engineering projects. The QA also briefed participants on issues that need to be noted regarding business operations for registered Hong Kong enterprises. Furthermore, two Hong Kong consulting enterprises also shared their successful experiences in the Mainland.

     Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Wong thanked the DHURDGP and the QA for their strong support to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). He believed that the experience and capability of Hong Kong enterprises would assist the promotion of a high-quality construction industry in the Mainland to help develop the GBA into a world-class bay area.
       
     He continued, "The National 14th Five-Year Plan supports the strategy of high-quality construction of the GBA. The HKSAR Government has been working closely with the Mainland to actively promote the integration of Hong Kong's architectural and engineering sectors into the country's overall development. Over the past year, a number of facilitation measures were launched, including the introduction of registration systems in the nine Mainland cities of the GBA and Qianhai, allowing eligible Hong Kong enterprises and professionals in five disciplines including engineering, architectural, surveying, planning and landscape architecture to be able to directly provide services in the nine Mainland cities of GBA and Qianhai by attaining equivalent qualifications in the Mainland through a simple registration system."
       
     The conference also touched on the registration measures earlier formulated by the DEVB with the DHURDGP and the QA. Effective from January 1 this year, the measures promulgated by the DHURDGP under the Interim Guidelines for the Management of Hong Kong Engineering Construction Consultant Enterprises and Professionals Starting Business and Practising in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cities cover four professional disciplines in architecture, engineering, surveying and landscape architecture, allowing consulting enterprises on the two government lists, namely the lists of the Architectural and Associated Consultants Selection Board and the Engineering & Associated Consultants Selection Board, as well as professionals registered with relevant registration boards in Hong Kong, to be able to directly provide services in the GBA by obtaining equivalent qualifications in the Mainland through a registration system. At present, 53 enterprises and 241 professionals have completed the registration. Similar measures have also been implemented in Qianhai. In addition to the consulting enterprises on the two above-mentioned government lists, these measures also cover companies on the List of Approved Contractors for Public Works, as well as company members of the relevant professional institutions or associations. Since the measures were introduced in October 2020, a total of 38 enterprises and 321 professionals have completed the registration.

     In addition, Mr Wong called on professionals of the industry in Hong Kong to actively participate in the Legislative Council General Election to be held on December 19 (Sunday) by casting their votes to elect patriotic legislators so as to speak for the industry and to work together for the sustainable development of Hong Kong.

Ends/Thursday, December 16, 2021
Issued at HKT 18:53

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