The local construction industry union blasted the Buildings Department (BD) Wednesday for misleading citizens into believing that all renovation works in domestic premises need to be carried out by licensed contractors.

The Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union pointed out that 15 designated items are actually exempt from new regulations that are due to be implemented Friday.

The BD recently revised the Minor Works Control System (MWCS), under which regulations on renovation that are of a smaller scale and pose a lower level of risk are due to be relaxed and simplified.

According to the new rules, small-scale works that don't affect the structure of the building, such as drying rack alterations or simple decoration, can be conducted without prior approval from the BD. Nor will such work require registered contractors.

However, the BD's current promotional campaign is misleading and could confuse the public since it claims that no exemptions can be made, the Hong Kong Construction Union Industry Employees General Union pointed out.

The organization cited brochures and promotional TV advertisements produced by the BD warning citizens that "any member of the public intending to carry out minor works should employ a minor works contractor registered in the Buildings Department to do so, in order not to violate the legal requirements of the new system".

However, under the revised system, 15 items of common household renovation works, such as painting, internal rendering or wall-paper works and alteration of internal non-load bearing walls, is exempt under the Buildings Ordinance.

Consequently, unregistered contractors are at high risk of losing their jobs because of the public's misunderstanding over the new regulations, the Union claimed, adding that two thirds of its 30,000 members haven't registered yet.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the BD responded that "we are confident that the MWCS will be implemented smoothly" and that the department has no plans to either defer the implementation or setting a "grace period" for unregistered workers.

Up to December 28, around 5,100 registration applications had been received, with around 1,000 company and 1,100 individual contractors have been successfully registered, according to the BD.

China Daily

(HK Edition 12/30/2010 page1)