Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said the Building Maintenance Support and Services Council plans to recruit around 90 people in the initial phase. The government announced the formation of the new body in the wake of the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire last year, and it aims to help homeowners with building maintenance and renovation works. The council will be set up by the end of the year, offering a paid service to handle tendering and evaluation on their behalf. Speaking on a TV programme on Sunday, Linn said the new staff will include professionals, technical staff, as well as support and administrative personnel. "We want to begin recruitment now so that new hires can be onboard as quickly as possible, and the goal is to have all these staff join in phases and be fully in place between the beginning and the middle of next year." On whether to adopt the two-envelope approach for projects – which assesses the technical aspects and the price separately – the development minister said that could apply to more complex projects. And she doesn't believe it would raise the price tag. "The two-envelope system mainly depends on the weighting which is predetermined, and ultimately, quality is guaranteed, and it...
Read full article