4 February 2012 General Council Members Retreat.  Members shared and brainstormed the issues that might change our way forward in future.

 

7 February 2012 Luncheon with Ms Florence Hui, the Under Secretary for Home Affairs and the ExCom Members. We spent a fruitful hour with Florence. We shared different insights on many social events and also the importance to display more positive messages to the public and to promote love and care amongst different spectrums of the community.

 

8 February 2012 2012 Chief Executive Election – Architectural, Surveying and Planning Subsector Forum.

 

10 February 2012 Luncheon with Prof Hon Patrick Lau at LegCo complex and tour visit. At the luncheon, I requested Patrick to urge and follow up with Home Affairs Department to raise HKIS involvement on the consultation of the proposed Licensing of Property Management Companies and Property Manager, and BMO Review.

 

14 February 2012 Luncheon with Mrs Carrie Lam, the Secretary for Development and the ExCom Members. It was a very meaningful and enjoyable meeting with Carrie. We exchanged our views on Building Safety, UBW, MBIS, Land Supply Policy, CEPA, Licensing of Property Management Companies and Property Managers, etc.

 

As reported last month, an Advisory Committee for the Regulation of Property Management Industry was formed under Home Affairs Department and four sub-committees were formed. They are Sub-Committee on Property Management Practitioners, Sub-Committee on Property Management Company Licensing, Sub-Committee on Finance & Administration and Sub-Committee on Promotion. Some of our council members have joined the first three subcommittees. Issues of our concern are the tiers and licensing requirements for the licensing regime for both Property Management Companies and Practitioners, grandfathering rules and exemption for the licensing regime for property managers. Suitable   consultation will be followed when more details come up.

 

I was recently interviewed by the Deloitte Consulting which is appointed by the Efficiency Unit and Government Property Agency (GPA) to conduct a consultancy study to review the existing outsourcing model for providing property management services to Government properties under GPA. I shared my experience with pros and cons on operations from a service provider’s point of view. As a professional PFM surveyor, I emphasized the paramount importance to strike a balance between costs and service standards, and the ways to monitor and execute contract as the keys to success.

 

Thanks for the assistance from Daniel Hui and Raymond Chan who arranged a CPD event on Enhancing Land Supply Strategy, Reclamation outside Victoria Harbour and Rock Cavern Development on 15 February 2012. Mr Robin Lee, Deputy Head of Civil Engineering Office (Port and Land), Mr Raymond Wong, Assistant Director of Planning Department, and Mr Ricky Wong, Senior Engineer of Civil Engineering and Development Department made presentations with supporting figures regarding the existing land supply options and challenges and exploring the new land supply options in line with the progressive development of Hong Kong. The talk was well received with 72 members attended and enthusiastic responses in the Q&A session. The powerpoint presentation is now available for viewing at the HKIS PFMD web page.

 

Following the enactment of the Buildings (Amendment) Ordinance 2011 and completion of the legislation procedures, the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) is planned to be fully implemented in the second quarter of 2012 according to a press release of the Buildings Department (BD). BD will select a suitable number of buildings (aged 30 years or above except domestic buildings not exceeding three storeys) and issue statutory notices to owners requiring them to appoint Registered Inspectors (RI) to carry out inspections and repairs as necessary, of the external walls, common parts, projections and signboards of their buildings (remarks: will be once every 10 years). Please note that, at present, RI can be a registered professional surveyor from the building surveying or quantity surveying division. Another newly introduced scheme at the same time is the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS). Under the MWIS, owners of buildings aged 10 years or above (except domestic buildings not exceeding three storeys are required to carry out inspections (and, if necessary, repair works) of all windows of the buildings once every 5 years. According to BD, they will endeavour to synchronise the implementation of the MBIS and MWIS under the same cycle as far as practicable. Therefore, owners can carry out inspections and repair works under both schemes simultaneously.

 

Members please note that the deadline for submission of Green Building Award 2012 - Towards Zero Carbon is extended to 29 February 2012. Please visit the official website : www.gba.hk/main.html for details.