TUESDAY, OCTOBER B, 1991
MR CORSER SAID APART FROM BEING AN AGENCY то PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ΤΟ GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, URBAN COUNCIL, REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE BRITISH FORCES, THE DEPARTMENT WAS ALSO REQUIRED TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON ALL TECHNICAL AND PROFESSIONAL MATTERS AFFECTING ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMMES.
WORK
THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PERFORMS THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL CONTROLLER IN MONITORING EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEY ON CONSTRUCTION UNDERTAKEN BY SUBVENTED CHARITIES.
IT ALSO OVERSEES WORK BY JOINT VENTURES AND PRIVATE DEVELOPERS ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PROVIDES MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, EXCLUDING PUBLIC HOUSING,
HE POINTED OUT THAT IN OTHER COUNTRIES THESE TASKS FOR THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND MUNICIPAL AUTHORITIES WOULD BE PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUAL WORKS ORGANISATIONS.
ΤΟ
A.
WHILE IN HONG KONG, THE PROVISION OF BUILDING SERVICES WIDE RANGE OF PUBLIC BODIES HAD BEEN CENTRALISED UNDER THE ASD, THUS SAVING TAXPAYERS' MONEY BY REDUCING OVERHEAD COSTS AND DUPLICATION SERVICES.
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MR CORSER SAID OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, HIS DEPARTMENT'S CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS HAD AVERAGED $4,426 MILLION EVERY YEAR WITH THE TOTAL PROGRAMME IN THE VARIOUS STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT VALUED ABOUT $39 BILLION AT CURRENT PRICES.
MR CORSER EXPLAINED THAT ONCE THE NEED FOR A PARTICULAR BUILDING WAS ESTABLISHED, IT ENTERED THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME AND FUNDS FOR PROJECTS WERE ALLOCATED ON A PRIORITY BASIS.
"AT THIS STAGE THE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT 15 ENGAGED AND A PROJECT TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS IS CHOSEN, NORMALLY COMPRISING AN ARCHITECT, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEER AND A QUANTITY SURVEYOR.
"THIS TEAM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROJECT FROM INCEPTION TO COMPLETION AND THE PROJECT TEAM LEADER IS RESPONSIBLE ΤΟ ENSURE THAT IT IS ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET, HE SAID.
MR CORSER ALSO NOTED THAT APART FROM THE OBVIOUS PROFESSIONAL INPUT OF THE VARIOUS DISCIPLINES ON BUILDING PROJECTS, OTHER SERVICES RENDERED INCLUDED PREPARATION OF THE TENDER PRICE INDEX (TPI), PREPARED BY THE QUANTITY SURVEYING BRANCH OF HIS DEPARTMENT.
THE TPI IS A COMPOSITE INDEX SHOWING THE RISE AND FALL OF PRICES TENDERED FOR PUBLIC BUILDING PROJECTS.
WAY OF
WHICH
HIS
ON OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, MR CORSER EXTOLLED THE VIRTUES OF ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR) AS A QUICK AND INEXPENSIVE RESOLVING CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT DISPUTES WITH CONTRACTORS, DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN UTILISING IN ITS PROJECTS.
/THE VARIOUS