Politics · 2026-10-30 · Afternoon briefing

Hong Kong to launch building repair agency after decade-long delay

Hong Kong’s government will establish a new agency by the end of the year to assist flat owners with building repair tenders. The Secretary for Development, Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, refuted accusations that this is a policy U-turn, insisting the new Building Maintenance Support and Services Council differs from a proposal rejected nearly a decade ago. She argued the new body will only provide support, while regulatory enforcement remains with the separate Buildings Department.

The council will operate as a government-owned company without statutory power. However, its recommendations will be mandatory for any homeowner wishing to receive government subsidies for repairs. The plan closely resembles a proposal from 2015, which followed a landmark bid-rigging case, though campaigners at the time had hoped for a body with legal authority.

The government's previous development secretary had dismissed the 2015 proposal as ineffective. The near-decade delay in adopting the policy is being linked to a shift in public mood. A deadly fire in the Tai Po district last year is cited as a key event that made the public more receptive to government intervention in building safety.

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