Aggressive Construction Company seeks license renewal amidst calls for govt oversight

Aggressive Construction Company Limited, which has been involved in several fatal industrial accidents in recent years, is currently applying for a renewal of contractor registration.

The parent company of Aggressive Construction, Great Harvest Group Development Limited, stressed that it has implemented multiple improvement measures and is optimistic about the renewal. 

However, lawmakers urged the government to exercise vigilant supervision to ensure construction site safety before considering the company's license renewal.

Aggressive Construction Co Ltd was responsible for the crane collapse on Anderson Road that killed three and injured six in September 2022, and the company's registration expired last year.

During an event promoting work site safety, Vincent Chow Cheung-kwong, the General Manager of Great Harvest Group, said they received a notification from the Buildings Department about arranging employee interviews for evaluation in early April. 

The company expected to receive the renewal decision within the next three months.

"We have learned some valuable lessons from the past industrial accidents," Chow said. "Since the beginning of this year, we have appointed an independent third-party safety consultant, and our board members have conducted surprise inspections at relevant construction sites."

He added that the Group has also submitted a safety improvement report as required by the Buildings Department.

"Considering these efforts, I am optimistic about our license renewal," he said.

The company is currently in contract to build 13,000 public housing units. The Housing Authority has stated that the work stoppage related to inspections has delayed the occupancy of the Lai Yiu Estate in Kwai Chung, increasing the average waiting time for public housing.

If the license renewal of Aggressive Construction is not granted, the progress of public housing construction could be further affected. 

Scott Leung Man-kwong, a member of the Housing Authority Subsidized Housing Committee and Legislative Council, emphasized that expediting public housing construction should not come at the expense of safety.

He added that the company's site management and the government's oversight of construction sites must be highly diligent to ensure that all construction works are carried out under safe conditions. 

Another subsidiary company of Great Harvest Group, Aggressive Construction Engineering Limited, was denied its license renewal last year by the Buildings Department after the Group was involved in at least four fatal industrial accidents over the past few years, resulting in six deaths. 

The Buildings Department stated that even if a contractor applying for license renewal is involved in construction-related accidents resulting in deaths, regardless of whether they have been convicted, interviews and evaluations are necessary, and the department will carefully consider whether to grant approval.