Govt launches probe into light public housing installation flaws

The Director of Architectural Services has set up an independent team to investigate construction violations at three Light Public Housing (LPH) projects, the government said on Monday.

The projects — located in Siu Lam, Yan Po Road and Sheung On Street — were found to have on-site installation issues during a departmental inspection.

“The incident is not related to the quality of the Modular Integrated Construction units but involves on-site work procedures,” the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD) said in a statement.

Authorities have instructed the contractor, Able and Chun Wo Joint Venture, to immediately submit proposals for remedial measures, which are expected to take four to five months to complete.

ArchSD said it would also press the contractor to speed up external works to ensure the projects are finished by the dates committed to the Public Works Subcommittee.

The Housing Bureau, meanwhile, said it was “deeply concerned” about the issue and had instructed ArchSD to follow up seriously to ensure the timely completion of the LPH projects to high quality and safety standards.

Subject to the outcome of the investigation, the government said it would hold the parties involved accountable under the contract terms and take regulatory action against the contractor and related personnel if necessary.

The inspections have been underway since September after quality issues were uncovered at the LPH project at Lok On Pai, Siu Lam, at the end of August.