The Urban Renewal Authority said it will improve its evaluation scope after Prestige Construction and Engineering Company, the contractor for the major renovation project related to the inferno at Wang Fuk Court, received a full score of 100 in "project management" assessment under the Building Rehabilitation Company Registration Scheme.
In response to media inquiries, URA admitted that the presentation of the scores could mislead the public into thinking that the rating is an overall evaluation of the contractor, rather than an assessment of the contractor's system integrity in project management.
It said that the registration scheme does not require contractors to declare any criminal records related to construction site safety. The Authority will improve the scope, methods and guidelines for auditing the scheme, as well as the presentation and outcomes of the results.
In addition, URA stated that it would provide services to owners' corporations during the contractor bidding process through the "Smart Tender" Building Rehabilitation Facilitating Services, but it will not participate in the technical evaluation of contractors or discussions related to the selection of consultants or contractors.
To minimize the risks of corruption and collusion bidding, URA will review the "Smart Tender" services and explore ways to ensure the accuracy of verifiable information during the contractor bidding phase.
