The continued success of Hong Kong depends heavily on its infrastructure. It is essential that we are able to provide and maintain infrastructure to keep pace with the demands of a growing and increasingly sophisticated society and economy. The Works Bureau and its departments will continue to build and maintain high quality facilities for the community. In these policy commitments, I have set out our way forward in working towards these objectives.
Feedback from users is important for us to improve our work. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions on our services.
(Kwong Hon-sang)
Secretary for Works
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is committed to ensuring that it is open and fully accountable to the people of Hong Kong. Policies, aims and programmes must be clear to all so that the Government can be accountable for their delivery. With greater clarity of purpose and accessibility, the public can better assess our performance and help us improve our quality of service.
The Policy Programmes, which underpin the Policy Address delivered by the Chief Executive in October 1997, explain the objectives and ongoing work of each Policy Bureau and its supporting departments, as well as Department of Justice, Office of the Judiciary Administrator, Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Administration Wing of the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, and their proposed new commitments for the coming year. They are set out in three sections:
The objective of the Works Bureau is to deliver quality public works cost-effectively, safely and in a timely manner so as to promote and support the continued growth of the economy and to improve the quality of life. We seek to achieve this by :
Article 142 of the Basic Law, at Annex, provides for the continued recognition of the professions and professional organisations recognised before the establishment of the HKSAR. The Works Bureau is fully committed to implementing the Basic Law in working closely with the established professional bodies in the construction industry on raising the standards of professional services for the development of the infrastructure in Hong Kong.
The Works Bureau is responsible for seven main programme areas :
The Works Bureau aims to deliver public works projects safely, on time, within budget and to high standards.
We are continuing to improve resource management in the Public Works Programme in 1997-98 to reduce underspending. The computerised Public Works Management System has been expanded to an operational service of 156 terminals installed in policy bureaux and works departments. This has enabled policy bureaux, as clients of works departments, to monitor progress of their public works projects much more effectively than before. We have been able to reduce underspending on public works from 39% in 1991-92 to 6.1% in 1996-97. Value management studies have also been introduced to improve value-for-money in contracts managed by the Architectural Services Department.
In 1996-97,
The aim of the Bureau is to ensure that the quality and efficiency of service provided to clients by works departments will be improved.
We have completed a management review of the Water Supplies Department (WSD) to improve its efficiency and cost effectiveness. A consultancy study is underway to assess the overall condition of underground waterworks facilities and to determine future maintenance needs.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund was set up on 1 August 1996 to improve the flexibility of operation and the service quality of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. After a year in operation, the Trading Fund is well on course to achieve its financial target.
It is Works Bureau's policy to require the contractors and consultants of major public works projects to obtain International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9000 certification. The Architectural Services Department and three sub-divisions of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department have already been ISO certified. Other works departments are developing their quality management systems.
In 1998,
Our aim is to ensure that the progress of the remaining four out of the ten Airport Core Programme (ACP) projects is closely monitored so that they are completed on time and within budget.
Good progress has been made on the ACP projects. The ACP transport corridor linking Hong Kong Island with Tung Chung new town fully opened to traffic in May 1997. The transport corridor comprises the Western Harbour Crossing, the West Kowloon Expressway, the Route 3 (Kwai Chung & Tsing Yi Sections), the Lantau Link and the North Lantau Highway.
The three reclamation projects, namely the Central Reclamation Phase 1, the West Kowloon Reclamation and the Tung Chung Development Phase 1 are substantially complete. Population intake of the Tung Chung new town has commenced in July 1997.
Works on the new airport at Chek Lap Kok undertaken by the Airport Authority and on the Airport Railway by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation are on course to meet the target opening dates in April and June 1998 respectively. We will continue to monitor closely and take appropriate actions to ensure the target dates are met.
As at 31 August 1997, the government-funded ACP projects were 99% complete, while overall, including the new airport, the Airport Railway and the Western Harbour Crossing, the ACP was 89% complete.
The progress of individual projects as at 31 August 1997 was as follows :
The ten ACP projects are projected to cost $156,364 million in money of the day values, a reduction of $1,805 million from the previous budget of $158,169 million outturn prices estimated in 1995 and a further reduction of $5,561 million from the pre-1994 estimate of $163,730 million.
The aims of the Bureau are to ensure that:
The accelerated 5-year Landslip Preventive Measures (LPM) programme spanning 1995 to 2000 is progressing, with some 170 sub-standard slopes being upgraded each year. This has further reduced the risk of landslides. We are also cataloguing all man-made slopes in Hong Kong and identifying the parties responsible for their maintenance. A new slope catalogue and a register of maintenance responsibility will be available for public access in 1998 and 1999 respectively to help ensure proper maintenance of slopes.
We have implemented all five recommendations made by Professor Morgenstern following the Kwun Lung Lau landslide. As a result, most of the government underground pipes affecting slopes are now being inspected; the Buildings Ordinance has been amended to empower the Government to require private owners to inspect and repair private underground pipes affecting slopes; the Technical Review Board comprising international experts is meeting regularly to advise Government on slope safety. Furthermore, the two long-term recommendations (viz. improvements to slope stability assessment and site characterisation method) are being actively pursued.
The Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) will continue to check the design of all new slopes to ensure that they meet the required safety standards. In this connection, several amendments to the Buildings Ordinance are being made to enhance geotechnical control in private developments. The GEO will provide geotechnical advice, assistance, information and publicity to both government departments and the public at large on slope safety and maintenance.
The Works Bureau will co-ordinate with other bureaux to revise existing guidelines on the division of maintenance responsibility so that every government slope is maintained properly. For private slopes we are examining the feasibility of a mandatory slope maintenance scheme.
In 1996-97,
In 1998,
The aim of the Bureau is to ensure that Hong Kong continues to enjoy a continuous, reliable, clean and wholesome supply of fresh water.
As Hong Kong's own water resources are insufficient for its demand, we have been securing water supply from Guangdong since 1960. At present, 99.7% of the population is continuously supplied with wholesome fresh water, and there has been no water rationing since 1982 . In 1989, we entered into a long-term agreement with the Guangdong Authority for the supply of water from Dongjiang up to the year 2000 and beyond.
The Water Supplies Department serves about 2.2 million accounts. We have completed a management review of the department and are implementing the recommended measures to improve efficiency and services. We have also initiated an Asset Management Study to determine the conditions of the underground assets (mainly pipes) and the maintenance strategy for the future.
In 1996-97,
In 1998,
The aims of the Bureau are to ensure that:
Construction site accidents continue to account for a high proportion of industrial accidents and fatalities. In 1996-97, such accidents amount to more than one-third of all industrial accidents and more than two-thirds of the fatalities.
In view of the seriousness of the problem, we introduced a safety management system in ACP government contracts in 1992 and in non-ACP contracts in 1993.
Two major safety initiatives, the Pay for Safety Scheme and the Independent Safety Audit Scheme, were also introduced in 1996 to encourage public works contractors to set up more efficient safety management systems and to enhance the standard of safety performance of contractors. Contractors with persistently poor safety performance are suspended from tendering.
With a view to improving the standard of construction sites management, the Bureau has been implementing a "Considerate Contractors Site Award Scheme" within the works departments since April 1995. The first three phases of the Scheme were completed in September 1996 with a good response from public works contractors. To further promote a high standard of site management and site safety in the whole construction industry, we have expanded the 1997 Scheme to include private sector construction sites.
In 1998,
The aims of the Bureau are to ensure that:
Construction Standards
The Construction Standards Committee set up under the Construction Advisory Board has reviewed and updated the list of the construction standards used in Hong Kong. We are compiling an English-Chinese glossary of terms commonly used in the Hong Kong construction industry and aim to complete the first edition by the end of 1997. We are considering a proposal to set up a central construction standardisation body.
Alignment with International Standards
It is our aim to align our construction standards with international standards where appropriate, in line with the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade of the World Trade Organisation and the initiatives of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation. We have set up a task force and appointed a consultant to conduct a pilot study to align standards for Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride (UPVC) pipes and fittings currently used in Hong Kong with the corresponding international standards.
Communication with the Mainland
To help the local construction industry gain a better understanding of the technical terms and standards used in the Mainland, we have been publishing information and arranging seminars on engineering and construction standards. In April 1997, we organised jointly with our counterparts in the Mainland and the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers a two-day seminar in Beijing on engineering and construction standards. More than 150 experts, engineers and professionals in related fields from the Mainland and Hong Kong participated. We intend to organise further seminars.\
In 1996,
As we enter the next millennium, we are preparing ourselves to meet the challenges brought about by a growing economy and an expanding population. We must provide and maintain good infrastructure to meet the rising aspirations of the community and to improve the quality of life of our people. We will support the development of Hong Kong's economy by making further investments in infrastructure and related services. We will increase our co-operation with our neighbouring areas in planning for our infrastructure. By taking forward these initiatives, we are confident that our infrastructure developments will contribute towards the sustained growth of the Hong Kong economy well into the next century.
Chapter VI : Education, Science, Culture, Sports, Religion, Labour and Social Services
Article 142
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall, on the basis of maintaining the previous systems concerning the professions, formulate provisions on its own for assessing the qualifications for practice in the various professions.
Persons with professional qualifications or qualifications for professional practice obtained prior to the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may retain their previous qualifications in accordance with the relevant regulations and codes of practice.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall continue to recognize the professions and the professional organizations recognized prior to the establishment of the Region, and these organizations may, on their own, assess and confer professional qualifications. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may, as required by developments in society and in consultation with the parties concerned, recognize new professions and professional organizations.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may, as required by developments in society and in consultation with the parties concerned, recognize new professions and professional organizations.
Note
In addition, all Bureaux/Departments, as well as Department of Justice, Office of the Judiciary Administrator, Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Administration Wing of the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, have joint responsibility for the implementation of the following articles:
Articles 11 (first paragraph), 16, 56 (second paragraph), 62(1) and (2), 64, 142, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152 and 153.
Policy Programme