Key facts
- A new Building Maintenance Support and Services Council will be established by the end of 2026.
- The council will offer paid services for building renovation tenders and evaluations.
- Bid-rigging in renovation tenders will be criminalized with penalties up to 10 years imprisonment or a HK$10 million fine.
- The government will inject HK$300 million into the new company, including HK$200 million for subsidies.
- The council will take over some functions from the Urban Renewal Authority.
Hong Kong's development chief Bernadette Linn refuted claims of a policy U-turn regarding a new agency to assist homeowners with building repair tenders. The proposed Building Maintenance Support and Services Council, slated for establishment by year-end, will offer paid services for tendering and evaluation, a scope fundamentally different from a rejected initiative a decade ago. The announcement follows the release of a report investigating the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in 2025, which claimed 168 lives. Chief Executive John Lee announced on October 29, 2026, that authorities would establish a "building management support bureau." The government will inject HK$300 million into the non-statutory firm, which will be held by the Financial Secretary Incorporated. This new body will take over some functions of the Urban Renewal Authority. In response to the investigation, authorities will also propose criminalizing bid-rigging under the Competition Ordinance, with potential penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment or a HK$10 million fine.