Contractors’ botches lead to bans on bidding for Hong Kong public projects

Contractors at the centre of construction botches at three Hong Kong light public housing sites last year have been banned from bidding for public projects for up to a year, the government has said.The firm responsible for overseeing work quality, Able Engineering, has also been ordered to pay the extra costs for fixing the problems. It also faces a disciplinary hearing for alleged “serious negligence or misconduct in the construction works”, and a possible criminal investigation by police.The punitive measures followed a government probe into building problems at the three sites in Siu Lam, Tuen Mun and Chai Wan, completed last November.Notices had been served to the companies involved about the sanctions imposed on them, the Development Bureau said.The cases came to light last September when authorities discovered a construction violation at the Siu Lam project during an inspection the previous month.The issue involved at least 23 screws connecting formwork used for casting the concrete core walls. They were found to have been cut short without approval.