(香港，2022年10月14日) 香港工程師學會(下稱「學會」)剛就2022施政報告向政府提供意見。學會亦肯定政府於今年3月向立法會提交精簡與發展相關的法定程序的修例建議，唯建議未有觸及部分下游程序，例如與設計及建造相關的法定和行政程序，而這些程序對發展項目如期落成亦同等重要。學會經詳細研究後，於上月底發表題為「精簡建造及基建發展流程建議書」，主要就設計及建造階段程序作務實可行建議。
在記者會上，會長卜國明工程師表示學會作為代表工程業界的專業團體，在收集意見後，將對施政報告各項建議呈交給當局，包括檢視投標政策、為配合社會發展需要增加工程專業人手、精簡發展審批程序、增加土地及房屋供應、發展創新科技、檢視資助基金的申請程序、融入大灣區發展，以至交通、教育、可持續及智慧城市發展。會長特別強調當局應及早檢視中學課程及大學入學要求，並加強推廣STEAM教育，亦須大力推動兩地專業資格互認，回應社會對創科及工程人才與日俱增的需求。
學會亦建議繼續採取多管齊下的方式解決土地短缺的問題。為了更有效推進交椅洲人工島填海工程，規劃、設計及建造階段均應加快提早展開。學會亦期望政府提出基建藍圖，有序策劃及監督各項土地建議及基建的進度及落成時間表。學會亦提倡把公營房屋項目內的政府、機構及社區設施從住宅樓宇中抽出，全面使用「組裝合成」建築法建造公營房屋，以進一步縮短建造時間。
高級副會長李志康博士工程師就精簡審批程序報告作出補充，包括建議政府指定部門或組織集中處理規劃申請，同時亦要在回覆申請時設定期限；增設「法定申請預審」程序，為申請人預先辨識項目的潛在技術問題，以解決問題為原則，促成各部門的審批及諮詢程序；在符合原已獲批准設計原則和建造方法下，減少因微小改動而須重新審批；鼓勵政府部門除了是監管機構之外，在不影響質量及安全，及公開公平的大前提下，亦需擔當「促進者」的角色。報告亦向政府建議另一公營房屋建造模式，即挑選合適的項目，將平整土地、基礎建設及建造房屋工程的設計和建造工序，集中在一個部門進行，以縮短施工年期。
學會期望政府做到多管齊下，在覓地建屋方面做提速、提效、提量，令市民可以安居樂業。
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(Hong Kong, 14 October 2022) The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (hereafter “the HKIE”) has recently made recommendations to the Administration for its formulation of the 2022 Policy Address. The HKIE endorses the Administration’s legislative proposals (set out in a paper delivered in March 2022 to the Legislative Council) to streamline development-related statutory processes, but holds that some downstream statutory and administrative processes at design and construction stages, while being equally crucial to the timely delivery of development projects, are not being dealt with in them. After thorough examinations, at the end of last month the HKIE issued a report entitled “Recommendations on Streamlining Building Works and Infrastructure Development Processes”, providing practical and feasible suggestions, mainly, on the processes at design and construction stages.
In the press conference, President Ir Aaron Bok said that the HKIE, as a professional body representing the engineering industry, would submit its suggestions on the Policy Address to the Administration after collecting the interested parties’ views. These suggestions include reviewing procurement policy, augmenting manpower of the engineering profession in response to societal development, streamlining development processes, boosting land and housing supply, developing innovation and technology capacity, reviewing funding application processes, integrating into the Greater Bay Area, transportation, education, as well as sustainable and smart development of the city. Ir Bok put particular emphasis on the need on the Administration’s part to review the school curricula and university entry requirements in a timely manner, step up efforts to promote STEAM education, exert greater effort to foster mutual recognition of professional qualifications, thereby coping with the increasing demands for I&T and engineering talents following the city’s development.
In addition, the Institution supports adopting a multi-pronged approach persistently to tackle the shortage of land supply. To take forward the reclamation at the Harbour Metropolis, the planning, design and construction stages ought to be fast-tracked. The Institution also calls for a detailed infrastructure blueprint on the Administration’s part, a blueprint that will specify key milestones of delivery of land parcels and infrastructure works. It also advocates separating government, institutional and community facilities from residential blocks in public rental projects, such that modular integrated construction (MiC) method could be adopted thoroughly to further compress the construction time.
Ir Dr Barry Lee Chi Hong, the Institution’s Senior Vice President, elaborated on the report on streamlining approval processes. He suggested that a specific department or entity should be designated to process plan submissions and must set deadlines in its responses to the submissions. He further suggests adopting a ‘pre-application consultation step’, such that the projects’ potential technical issues may be identified beforehand and the approval and consultation processes may be facilitated under the principle of problem-solving. Provided that the original approved design principles and construction methodologies are observed, the need to seek for consent approval due to minor amendments should be avoided. Government departments should also be encouraged to serve their roles as both regulators and facilitators under the premise that quality, safety, as well as the principle of fairness and openness would not be compromised. In the report is also the proposal for a new public housing project delivery model: in the case of suitable projects, the site formation/infrastructure works, design, and building works would be implemented by one single department in order to shorten the time needed for construction.
The HKIE looks forward to a multi-pronged approach from the Administration. It is hoped that, as regards land and housing supply, a “wholesale enhancement in speed, efficiency, and quantity” will be achieved so that citizens may live and work in ways that meet their preferences.
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