XN000022-1986-02-05 — Page 20

da sund IL

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1986

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THE BILL WOULD ALSO SEEK TO PROVIDE BETTER STATUTORY CONTROL OVER THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TERRITORIES EXEMPT HOUSES TO IMPROVE THE IR SAFETY BY IMPOSING BETTER CONTROL OVER SITE FORMATION AND DRAINAGE WORKS, SPECIFYING THE THICKNESS OF PARTY WALLS OF SMALL HOUSES BUILT IN PAIRS, AND DEFINING TERMS LIKE "HEIGHT" AND *ROOFED OVER AREA', MR CHAN SAID.

IT WILL ALSO EMPOWER THE DIRECTOR OF LANDS TO EXEMPT, INTER ALIA, STRUCTURES BUILT BY BONA FIDE ORGANISATIONS FOR COMMUNITY USE FROM HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE STANDARD PROCEDURES UNDER THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE,+ HE SAID.

+THE BILL IS NOW IN THE FINAL DRAFTING STAGE AND IS ANTICIPATED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN APRIL FOR ENACTMENT WITHIN THE CURRENT SESSION OF THIS COUNCIL, HE TOLD THE COUNCIL.

CRITERIA FOR CONTRACTS EXPLAINED

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THE CRITERIA UNDER WHICH GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS ARE AWARDED WAS OUTLINED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON NICKY CHAN.

MR CHAN WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE HON CHENG HON-KWAN, WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD IN APPROPRIATE CIRCUMSTANCES RESTRICT ITS INVITATION TO TENDER FOR PUBLIC WORKS TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS.

HE SAID UNDER CURRENT GOVERNMENT POLICY TENDERS FOR PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTS WORTH LESS THAN $15 MILLION AND FOR TERM MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS WERE RESTRICTED TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS.

+HOWEVER, I SHOULD ADD THAT THIS POLICY WAS NOT ADOPTED

FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROTECTING THE INTERESTS OF LOCAL CONTRACTORS, BUT RATHER THAT IT WAS THOUGHT THAT MAJOR OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS, BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THEIR OPERATION, WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR SUCH SMALL-SCALE CONTRACTS,+

IN RESPECT OF GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS WORTH MORE THAN $15 MILLION, BOTH LOCAL AND OVERSEAS CONTRACTORS WERE NORMALLY ALLOWED TO TENDER SO LONG AS THEY WERE IN THE APPROPRIATE CATEGORIES OF THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH APPROVED LIST OF CONTRACTORS.

+ IN AWARDING THESE CONTRACTS, THE MAIN CONSIDERATIONS ARE, INTER ALIA, THE LEVEL OF TENDER PRICES, THE FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL AND MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES OF THE CONTRACTORS TO COMPLETE THE CONTRACT AND THE PAST AND PRESENT PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACTORS,+ MR CHAN SA ID.

+IT IS BASED ON THESE CRITERIA, AND NOT THE LOCAL OR OVERSEAS STATUS OF THE CONTRACTOR, THAT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS ARE AWARDED.+

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