20 h. ago Hong Kong can’t let its construction sector be captured by bad actors

Hong Kong should be very concerned about the recent flurry of cases involving misbehaviour in the construction industry. It would be too easy to write them off as isolated incidents when they could just as easily be straw in the wind, indicating a serious underlying malaise. One high-profile case is the Anderson Road quarry redevelopment by CK Asset Holdings. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) arrested 10 suspects earlier this year for allegedly paying or receiving bribes in...

Politics

45 h. ago Another Hong Kong homeowner convicted over illegal structures, fined HK$150,000

Another homeowner in Redhill Peninsula has been found guilty of carrying out unauthorised building works and fined HK$150,000 (US$19,230), marking the 12th conviction after Hong Kong authorities’ crackdown on illegal construction. The owner of a detached home in the private housing estate on Hong Kong Island pleaded guilty at Eastern Court on Friday to knowingly undertaking building works without prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department. “Investigations found that the owner of...

Events

3 d. ago Worker, 26, dies after falling 7 floors at Hong Kong housing construction site

A 26-year-old man has died in a fatal industrial incident in Hong Kong after falling seven storeys at a public housing construction site in the north of the city. Police said on Thursday that they received a report at around 10.30am about an industrial incident on Castle Peak Road near Chau Tau in Lok Ma Chau. The worker was believed to be fastening screws at the site when he fell from a height of about seven storeys onto the podium on the second floor, the force said. He was unconscious and...

Events

7 d. ago Unfinished construction works at Hong Kong school trigger safety concerns

Parents sending their children to a new Hong Kong government school with unfinished construction projects expressed safety concerns on the first day of the new academic year on Monday, with the principal saying it was currently unclear when the works would be finished. Families also raised concerns about poor transport connections for Erudite Government Primary School, which is located in a new development area on Anderson Road in Kwun Tong district and started running classes this month. The...

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong may cut back facilities at new public estates to speed up construction

Hong Kong authorities are considering whether to scale back facilities at some new public estates to speed up construction while encouraging property management firms to partner with welfare groups to boost services, the housing minister has said. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho Wing-yin floated the ideas on Saturday as she expressed confidence that the average waiting time for a temporary or permanent public rental flat could be cut from the current 5.1 years to 4½ years in 2026-27. Ho said the...

Politics

2 w. ago Hong Kong’s rally has room to run on ‘reasonable’ valuations: Templeton

Hong Kong stocks remain favourable, as attractive valuations and easing tariff uncertainty have enhanced the predictability of corporate earnings on the city’s stock market, according to US fund manager Franklin Templeton. The firm, which manages US$1.5 trillion of assets worldwide, was “constructive” on Hong Kong and mainland China’s stock markets, as the valuations remained reasonable and Beijing had introduced supportive policies, said Ferdinand Cheuk, portfolio manager at Templeton Global...

Politics

3 w. ago Lawmakers can learn from CY Leung’s constructive criticism of government

Plans for the next Legislative Council are being cemented – the nomination process will begin on October 24, with the current term ending on the same day. However, the same can’t be said for the date of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s policy address. So far, we’ve only been told it will be moved up to September, to make time for the Legco elections. Sources have reportedly said it will take place on September 17 but, so far, nothing is official. That doesn’t seem normal. That being said, just...

Politics