Legal Tales | Time to end bid-rigging in Hong Kong with criminalisation and tougher enforcement
In the wake of the Tai Po fire, an all-too-common practice in building management and maintenance comes under the spotlight – and must be redressed
Recent events in Hong Kong, particularly the tragic blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last November, have focused society’s attention on reforms to the legal system, especially those concerning building management and maintenance.
Corruption and improper practices in the tendering process for large-scale building renovation or maintenance have also become a hot-button issue.
In response, the government has established an independent committee to uncover the causes of the fire and examine underlying structural problems that contributed to the tragedy.
Bid-rigging, corruption and irregularities in tenders for major renovation works in multi-storey buildings are thus among the key issues on the independent committee’s agenda.
Hong Kong has many ongoing building maintenance projects in properties aged over 30 years as required by the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS).
Unfortunately, the MBIS has become liable to abuse by unscrupulous owners’ corporations, project consultants and contractors who can collude and engage in bid-rigging when undertaking building maintenance projects.