15 December 2003
Dear Fellow Engineers
I would like to update you on two important issues which are relevant to our profession:
Joint action to press the government to expedite public works projects
Following my last couple of years' efforts, the government has committed $29 billion on infrastructure and public works every year, about 10% more than previous years. Yet, the unemployment of the construction industry stands at 20% because of greatly reduced workload from the private sector and the Housing Department.
The Public Works Concern Group (PWCG) met on 4 and 10 December 2003 to discuss the issue. The PWCG, of which I am the convenor, was established by me 3 years ago. Its members include Legislators - Mr Lau Ping-cheung and Mr Abraham Shek, and 12 organisations, namely the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, the Hong Kong Construction Association, the Association of Architectural Practitioners, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Hong Kong, Association of Consultant Quantity Surveyors, Association of Engineers in Society, the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union, the Hong Kong Federation of E & M Contractors, Hong Kong Institute of Architects, Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects, Hong Kong Institute of Planners and the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors.
It was decided that I was to arrange a meeting with the Financial Secretary (and the meeting will take place on 16 December) in order to press the government to come out with immediate proposals and urgent actions, e.g. to increase substantially volume of infrastructure projects and building works. If the government still fails to address the unemployment problem in the construction industry with immediate and effective measures, the PWCG will stage a large-scale demonstration to protest against the
government's indifference to the plight of practitioners of the construction industry. All 300,000 practitioners including professionals, technicians and site workers would be urged to join the protest. I request all fellow engineers to watch out for the development of this plan and ensure your active participation for the well-being of the profession and the construction industry.
The plan of PWCG was reported in Ming Pao Daily on 9 December 2003. In the same report, I was also quoted saying that
government's assistance to the engineering profession in entering the Mainland market is limited since the conclusion of the CEPA despite progress has been made in other sectors such as securities and legal services. (For full report, please see
【工程界擬遊行 逼工程上馬】Section A 7, Ming Pao Daily, 9 December 2003)
Central Reclamation III
At a joint meeting of LegCo Panel on Planning, Lands and Works and Panel on Environmental Affairs held on 8 December 2003, I queried Mr Winston Chu Ka-sun, founder and former chairman of the Society for Protection of the Harbour (the Society), the feasibility of their plan of reducing the size of the Central reclamation by 51.7% with the obvious omission of essential design details such as the provision of a seawall which is crucial to protect the Central-Wanchai Bypass from waves and whether the Society had any engineering input to it. In reply, Mr Chu said that their plan was only a concept. He then blamed the government for not providing them with the necessary information to enable them to conduct a detailed study.
Again Ming Pao Daily made a detailed report on the meeting the following day (【保港會減填海方案被指畫公仔】Section A11,, Ming Pao Daily, 9 December 2003). Its sub-heading reads “工程界立法會議員何鍾泰「踢爆」沒有工程顧問參與保港會的研究
“(Raymond Ho Chung-tai ‘unveils' that there was no input from engineering consultants in the
Society's study). I was also quoted saying we cannot just rely on such a simple plan (of the Society) in view of the complexity of the reclamation project.
I will keep you posted on the development of these two issues, Should you have any comments on them, please let me know.
(signed)
Ir Dr Raymond Ho Chung-tai