Letters | How government-led building repairs can work in Hong Kong
Readers discuss the safeguards needed to ensure fairness and effectiveness, and public demand for the coin collection service
Hong Kong is undeniably facing a structural challenge: more than 29,000 private buildings are over 30 years old, and hundreds receive mandatory inspection orders each year. Experience shows that some owners only act when concrete spalling or other hazards become acute, forcing the authorities to intervene at the last minute.
From a professional perspective, government involvement in building repairs is not a problem in itself. For ageing buildings with long-term management failure or clear safety risks, a time-limited government- or statutory-led “takeover” can be an important safety valve to protect residents’ lives and property. Done well, such an approach could bring more discipline, technical expertise and bargaining power to a difficult market.
At the same time, if Hong Kong is to move towards a more centralised or “one-stop” model, some safeguards would help make the system both effective and widely trusted.
First, it is important to keep the market open and competitive. Even with stronger government coordination, open tendering, reasonable entry thresholds and transparent publication of tender outcomes can reduce perceptions of favouritism and ensure capable small and medium-sized firms still have room to participate.