*******************************************************
Mr Justice Hartmann will head the Independent Expert Panel set up by the Government to review the project delay relating to Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL), the Government announced today (May 16). The two other Panel members are Mr Peter Hansford from the UK and Professor Andrew J Whittle from the US.
A government spokesman said that the Hong Kong section of the XRL is an important transport infrastructure for Hong Kong, and the Government has grave concern about its delay. The Independent Expert Panel will commence work in June 2014, aiming to complete the review by late November 2014. The Panel will submit a report to the Chief Executive and the report will be made public.
The Terms of Reference of the Independent Expert Panel cover the following:
(a) to review the project management, monitoring, and cost control mechanisms of the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) on the implementation of the XRL project - covering relevant systems, processes, practices and modus operandi of the Corporation;
(b) to review the monitoring mechanism adopted by the Hong Kong SAR Government over the delivery of the XRL project - covering the interface between MTRCL and the Highways Department over the XRL project; the system, processes, practices and modus operandi of the Highways Department in supervising the implementation of the XRL project; as well as the overseeing role and modus operandi of the Transport and Housing Bureau; and
(c) to identify systemic and any other problems involved in project implementation and supervision, and to make recommendations on measures for improving the above systems, processes and practices, where appropriate.
The background of the Chairman and Members of Independent Expert Panel is summarised at the Annex.
Ends/Friday, May 16, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:38
NNNN
