WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986
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THE NUMBER OF LISTED LOCAL CONTRACTORS WAS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN IN 1983.
+ ON THE LIST OF CONTRACTORS FOR GROUP C,+ HE ADDED, +WHERE BOTH LOCAL AND OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS COMPETE FOR CONTRACTS FROM $15 MILLION OR OVER, THE NUMBER OF LOCAL CONTRACTORS HAS REMAINED ABOUT THE SAME SINCE 1983.+
HE SAID THE PROPORTION OF WORK DONE BY OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS WAS NOT CONTINUING TO INCREASE. THE LATEST FIGURES SHOW AN OVERALL DECREASE.+
MR BARNES SAID THAT WHATEVER ASSISTANCE OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS MIGHT RECEIVE FROM THEIR OWN COUNTRIES, ALL TENDERS WERE COMPARED WITH GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATES AND IF THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AND THE CONTRACTOR COULD NOT JUSTIFY HIS LOW RATES, GOVERNMENT MIGHT REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE TENDER.
FOLLOWING EARLIER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION, HE SAID, CHECKS ON FINANCIAL STATUS, MANAGERIAL, PLANT AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES, INITIAL PROBATIONARY STATUS AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS HAD ALL BEEN BROUGHT INTO LINE WITH THOSE FOR LOCAL CONTRACTORS.
MR BARNES SAID OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS EMPLOYED LOCAL LABOUR AND IN MANY CASES LOCAL PROFESSIONALS AND OTHER STAFF FOR THEIR PROJECTS AND ALSO LOCAL SUB-CONTRACTORS.
+ THE IMMIGRATION POLICY APPLIED TO OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS IS THE SAME AS FOR OTHER OVERSEAS BUSINESSES IN HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.
TURNING TO THE TIME TAKEN TO APPROVE BUILDING PLANS, MR BARNES SAID THE PREPARATION OF PLANS AND SUBSEQUENT CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEM WERE GUIDED BY STATUTORY PROVISIONS RELATING TO SUCH MATTERS AS MEANS OF ESCAPE, SAFETY AND BUILDING MATERIALS, AND ONCE APPROVED THESE PLANS BECAME THE BASIS OF ALL SUBSEQUENT CONTROL.
+
THE BUILDING MUST BE CONSTRUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEM; IT SHOULD NOT BE ALTERED UNLESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN APPROVED AMENDMENT, AGAIN PREPARED BY A QUALIFIED PERSON; ILLEGAL ALTERATIONS WERE ALTERATIONS NOT COVERED BY APPROVED AMENDMENT.
+I BELIEVE I WOULD BE JUSTIFIED IN SAYING THAT OVER THE YEARS THE GOVERNMENT MACHINERY HAS COPED WELL WITH CONSTRUCTION, BUT HAS FOR VARIOUS REASONS BEEN RATHER LESS SUCCESSFUL IN DEALING WITH MATTERS SUBSEQUENTLY,+ HE SAID.
/A... HAD