Quality Housing Consultative Document

Chapter 9: Way Forward

9.1 If Hong Kong is to prosper, it is vital to have a world-class construction industry to lay the infrastructural foundations for development and to construct first-class commercial facilities and quality homes for the community. The industry is so important for our future that we cannot allow it to stagnate. In this public consultation document, we have outlined four broad strategies and a number of new initiatives to improve construction quality. We would value your advice and support in taking these proposals forward.

9.2 As a strategic public consultation document, we have set out only the broad directions of reform and remained silent on much of the implementation details. We have done this deliberately to stimulate a constructive and extensive discussion within the industry and the community on these proposals during a 2-month public consultation exercise which will end on 31 March 2000. We would encourage all stakeholders and interested parties to convey their views to us. Having considered these, we will refine the proposals and draw up concrete plans for implementation, covering both targets and timing. These will cover both short-term and long-term initiatives for enhancing building quality of our public housing.

9.3 As we have repeatedly emphasized, the delivery of quality housing is everybody's business. With your support and contribution, we intend to realize our vision-

"To provide quality housing together with all stakeholders through partnering and sustained improvement such that the community can take pride in our housing construction."

9.4 We expect all stakeholders to benefit from this partnering process and quality reform-

	(a)	Property developers will deliver quality buildings more cost-effectively.
	(b)	Contractors will deliver their jobs more efficiently and establish a cordial and long-term relationship with property developers.
	(c)	Consultants will have more opportunities to contribute their expertise and new ideas into the production process and upgrade general building design and quality.
	(d)	Workers will gain a new professionalism through training and commanding higher social recognition.
	(e)	Customers will get quality housing and enjoy more guarantees and better services from contractors and developers.
	(f)	Society as a whole will benefit from a more competitive, efficient, environmental-friendly construction industry which can sustain our future development.

Thus, it is important for all of you to let us have your comments on this document.

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