Twenty work contracts involving 4,680 imported workers approved by govt

The government said on Thursday that it has approved the applications for 20 work contracts involving a total of 4,680 imported workers under the Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector. 

During the first round of the application period from July 17 to August 16, a total of 26 applications involving 5,251 imported workers were received. 

The government explained that the remaining six applications were not supported as they failed to meet the basic application requirements of the scheme and the application was not submitted by the principal contractor responsible for the contract concerned. 

All of the 20 work contracts approved are public sector construction works contracts which meet the requirement of a contract value of not less than HK$1 billion. 

They include the airport’s Three-Runway System and its related expansion, hospital development, waste management and sewage facilities, road construction and other building projects. 

The approved trades mainly include refrigeration/air-conditioning/ventilation mechanic, fire service mechanic, cement sand mortar worker, woodworker, and bar bender and fixer. 

A total of 5 480 quotas for imported labor have been allotted under the scheme so far, including the 800 quotas previously approved under the Supplementary Labour Scheme. 

“The quotas approved fall within the 29 eligible trades of skilled workers and the 18 eligible disciplines of technicians and site supervisory personnel that were identified to be in shortage by the approving authority in consultation with relevant committees,” the government said. 

A spokesperson for the Development Bureau said: “We expect that the imported labor approved to work in Hong Kong would alleviate the shortage of manpower in the construction sector and support infrastructure development that will improve people’s livelihood and the economy.”