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Hong Kong to criminalise bid-rigging after deadly Tai Po blaze inquiry
The investigation found bid-rigging tied to a HK$336 million maintenance project, and the fire killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.
Hong Kong authorities plan sweeping reforms after the conclusion of an investigation into the territory’s deadliest fire in decades, including criminalising bid-rigging and overhauling fire safety and property management rules, according to SCMP Economy.
The inquiry centered on allegations of bid-rigging involving a HK$336 million (US$43 million) maintenance project underway when the Wang Fuk Court fire erupted in Tai Po on November 26 last year. The materials used in renovations were found to have contributed to the fire’s rapid spread, and at least two bid-rigging syndicates were identified as potentially linked to the tender, the report said.
The blaze engulfed seven of the eight blocks in the estate, killing 168 people and displacing nearly 5,000 residents. SCMP Economy also said political observers expected senior officials, including ministers, to take accountability once the committee submits its report, which sources indicated will be delayed by about a month to late October due to additional document review.
The Competition Commission said it intends to submit proposals to criminalise bid-rigging as early as September, to support legislative amendments by the end of the year aimed at strengthening legal deterrence, SCMP Economy reported.