Hong Kong’s competition watchdog tightens tender clauses to target bid-rigging

Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has revised its tender clauses to require bidders make a statutory declaration they have not engaged in collusion on a project, as part of a wider move to criminalise bid-rigging following the city’s deadliest fire in decades.Senior Counsel Jat Sew-tong, chairman of the Competition Commission, also said on Thursday the body was considering proposing to raise the maximum penalty for the proposed criminal offence from seven to 10 years.Tendering practices came under the spotlight following last November’s fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, which killed 168 people and displaced 5,000 residents. At least two bid-rigging syndicates were linked to the tender for the HK$336 million (US$43 million) maintenance project that was under way when the blaze broke out.