WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1985
+THE BLOCKS IN QUESTION WERE BUILT SOME 12 TO 20 YEARS AGO, BY THE FORMER PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AS DISTINCT FROM THE CURRENT BUILDING ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT UNDER ITS PRESENT SUPERVISION AND MONITORING SYSTEMS ENFORCED BY A STAFF OF OVER 300 PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL OFFICERS,+ HE SAID.
+THERE IS NO CONCERN WHATSOEVER IN REGARD TO THE QUALITY OF BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.+
HE SAID THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WAS EXTREMELY CONSCIOUS OF NOT ONLY THE NEED TO ACHIEVE THE ANNUAL PRODUCTION TARGETS, BUT ALSO THE NEED TO PRODUCE BUILDINGS OF GOOD QUALITY AND DESIGN.
A GREAT DEAL OF IMPROVEMENTS HAD BEEN MADE, HE SAID.
+ALL HOUSING AUTHORITY CONTRACTS NOW HAVE AN IMPROVED SPECIFICATION FOR CONCRETE AND STIPULATE THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO EMPLOY A QUALIFIED ENGINEER FOR EACH CONTRACT - A REQUIREMENT THAT IS MORE STRINGENT THAN PRACTISED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, + HE SAID.
MR PANG SAID THE SUPERVISION OF CONTRACTORS WAS MONITORED RIGOROUSLY BY A STANDING COMMITTEE WITHIN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, AND BY REGULAR VISITS BY SENIOR DIRECTORATE STAFF.
QUALITY CONTROL, HE SAID, WAS CLOSELY MONITORED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S RECENTLY ESTABLISHED MATERIALS TESTING LABORATORY WHICH WAS OF AN EXTREMELY HIGH STANDARD.
FOR ITS BUILDING ACTIVITIES, HE SAID THE DEPARTMENT WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE TO. AND MONITORED BY THE BUILDING COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CHAIRED BY AN UNOFFICIAL WITH MEMBERSHIP FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL, ENGINEERING, LEGAL AND ACCOUNTING
DISCIPLINES.
+ IT IS FUNCTIONING EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, HE ADDED.
THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, MR PANG SAID, WOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE ANY NECESSARY STEPS TO FURTHER IMPROVE ALL ASPECTS OF THE SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION OF CONTRACTS AND, IN THIS REGARD, CLOSE LIAISON HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED WITH THE CORRUPTION AND PREVENTION DEPARTMENT OF ICAC.
ON AWARD OF TENDERS, MR PANG EMPHASISED THAT THE AUTHORITY
WAS NOT BOUND TO ACCEPT THE LOWEST TENDER.
HE SAID IT WOULD DO SO ONLY AFTER A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT REQUIEMENTS WERE MET, INCLUDING:
* ALL TENDERS RECOMMENDED FOR ACCEPTANCE BY THE AUTHORITY ARE SUBJECT TO RIGOROUS SCRUTINY BY THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT PRICES QUOTED IN THE TENDERS ARE NOT UNREALISTIC:
THE TENDERISE .....