The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, attended a TV programme this morning (October 14) to elaborate on the initiatives in the 2018 Policy Address and visited an old building in Sai Ying Pun in the afternoon to know more about support measures the residents need in carrying out building repair and maintenance works and introduce to them relevant measures in the Policy Address.

     Accompanied by the Director of Buildings, Mr Cheung Tin-cheung; the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services, Mr Alfred Sit; the Director (Building Rehabilitation) of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), Mr Daniel Ho and the District Officer (Central & Western) Mrs Susanne Wong, Mrs Lam visited a 52-year-old building on Wilmer Street, Sai Ying Pun and met with residents who are also members of the owners' corporation. They briefed her on the 13-storeyed building's repair and maintenance works in the past and works needed in the future. She also inspected areas of the building where repair works will be carried out and the lift. She then paid a home visit to an elderly resident to understand her daily life and introduce to her measures rolled out by the Government to support building repair and maintenance works. Mrs Lam noted that the building has applied for the subsidy schemes by the URA and plans to strengthen its fire safety standards and carry out the necessary repair works. The residents welcomed the initiative in the Policy Address to help home owners in need expedite lift modernisation.

     "Hong Kong is facing the challenge posed by ageing buildings. Strengthening building rehabilitation will not only help protect the lives of residents and passers-by and improve the living environment of residents, it will also enhance the adaptability of buildings to extreme weather conditions brought by climate change. In the Policy Address last year, I proposed to allocate $3 billion to launch "Operation Building Bright 2.0" and devote $2 billion to subsidise eligible owners to undertake fire safety enhancement measures. The relevant schemes have already been rolled out. In the Policy Address this year, I further proposed to launch in partnership with the URA the Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme with a provision of around $2.5 billion to subsidise lift modernisation for aged buildings to safeguard public safety, with additional subsidy for eligible elderly owner-occupiers. I look forward to launching the scheme in the first quarter of next year," Mrs Lam said.

     In addition to rolling out various subsidy schemes to help owners in need enhance building safety, relevant government departments will collaborate with the URA to assist building owners who have participated in the above-mentioned schemes to build in corruption prevention safeguards in their building repair and maintenance projects and to provide more information on building rehabilitation and market information so that the processes of tendering for contractors will be conducted in a fair, just and competitive manner.

Ends/Sunday, October 14, 2018
Issued at HKT 19:45

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