NEELAY, DECEMBER 18, 1985
*
THE TENDERER MUST PROVE TO THE AUTHORITY THAT IT WAS THE FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL AND MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES TO CARRY OUT AND COMPLETE THE CONTRACT, IF AWARDED, AND
* WHETHER A TENDER IS RECOMMENDED FOR ACCEPTANCE IS ALSO
DETERMINED TO A VERY LARGE EXTENT BY THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TENDERER IN COMPLETED AND CURRENT CONTRACTS, NOT ONLY WITH THE AUTHORITY, BUT ALSO WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT WORKS DEPARTMENTS.
MR PANG SAID HE COULD NOT FIND GOOD REASONS TO SUPPORT THE SUGGESTION THAT A SPECIAL COMMITTEE BE FORMED TO SUPERVISE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EXTENDED REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
HE SAID THE PROGRAMME WAS AN EXTENSION OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S ON-GOING REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR MARKS I AND II ESTATES. ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT CONSTRUCT THE 26 BUILDINGS IN QUESTION, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAD ACCEPTED THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR REDEVELOPING THEM AS PART OF ITS OBJECTIVES TO PROVIDE BETTER HOMES FOR THOSE IN NEED OF PUBLIC HOUSING.
*THE AUTHORITY HAS SO FAR SUCCESSFULLY REDEVELOPED 117 OLD ESTATE BLOCKS. THERE IS NO REASON TO DOUBT ITS ABILITY TO HANDLE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THESE 26 BLOCKS, HE SAID.
MR PANG SAID THE 26 BLOCKS WERE NEITHER UNSAFE NOR IN A STATE OF IMMINENT FAILURE, ALTHOUGH THE QUALITY OF CONCRETE WAS SUB-STANDARD.
+ IF THESE BLOCKS WERE UNSAFE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WOULD HAVE DECIDED TO EVACUATE THEM IMMEDIATELY, HE SAID.
ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY'S APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM, MR PANG SAID: +THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS ACTED IN A QUICK AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER IN DEALING WITH THIS INHERITED PROBLEM, AND HAS BEEN FRANK IN PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM.+
+ITS PRIMARY CONSIDERATIONS ARE THE CONCERN FOR ITS TENANTS
AND THE INTERESTS OF THE PUBLIC, HE SAID,
MR PANG ALSO SAID THAT EVERY EFFORT WAS BEING MADE TO MINIMISE ANY DISRUPTION CAUSED TO TENANTS AFFECTED BY THE EXTENDED REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
+THEY WILL HAVE AMPLE TIME, RANGING FROM 24 MONTHS TO 44 MONTHS TO PREPARE FOR THE MOVE, HE SAID.
MR PANG SAID DOMESTIC TENANTS WOULD BE GIVEN THE CHOICE OF A WIDE RANGE OF REHOUSING ACCOMMODATION OF DIFFERENT RENT LEVELS IN BOTH NEW AND EXISTING ESTATES.
+ALL AFFECTED FAMILIES WILL BE PAID AN ALLOWANCE TO ASSIST IN THE COSTS OF REMOVAL AND BASIC DECORATIONS TO THE NEW FLATS, PLUS A SPECIAL ALLOWANCE TO ASSIST IN THE COSTS OF TELEPHONE REMOVAL AND OTHER SIMILAR MATTERS, + HE SAID.
+THE TOTAL