Hong Kong’s development chief has vowed to tighten building safety laws to punish those exploiting loopholes, warning that authorities will show no leniency towards the construction sector that has come under public scrutiny after the deadly Tai Po fire.
Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho also said on Saturday that the government would take over incomplete building renovations posing safety risks, following delays caused by new inspection requirements implemented after the inferno.
The catastrophic 43-hour blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which broke out on November 26, claimed at least 161 lives and left nearly 5,000 residents displaced.
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Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu earlier pledged to push through systemic reforms to close loopholes in construction practices, which have come under heavy scrutiny in the wake of the tragedy.
“We need to thoroughly review the existing system with a heavy hand … There will be no leniency for the construction sector,” Linn told a radio programme, saying that some unscrupulous individuals had exploited their status as property owners to infiltrate owners’ corporations and engage in illegal schemes during building maintenance.
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“In light of the Tai Po tragic event, we are evaluating the adequacy of our initial scope of the [law] review. We’re considering whether certain areas warrant more comprehensive examination and if this presents an opportunity for more legislative amendments.