Key facts
- Industry representatives said the new council would draw back legitimate consultants and contractors deterred by bid-rigging intimidation.
- The Building Maintenance Support and Services Council is headed by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, per the report.
- The council would increase scrutiny of the tendering process for building maintenance work.
Hong Kong's renovation and construction sector said on a Monday that a new Building Maintenance Support and Services Council would bring back legitimate consultants and contractors who had been deterred by intimidation from bid-rigging syndicates, potentially lowering costs for homeowners over time.
The council is headed by Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, according to the report, and would increase scrutiny of the tendering process. The body did not give a calendar date for the comments, and the report did not state when the council began operating or what powers it holds.
The account rests on unnamed industry representatives and sector players. No contractor, consultant or homeowner was named, and no figure for current renovation costs or for any expected saving was given.