What are the Hong Kong government's building development plans for the public sector?
The Architectural Services Department acts as the Government's architect in providing full professional, technical and financial management services for the development and maintenance of public buildings (other than public housing) in three main areas:-
(i) monitoring and advisory services for all bureaux and departments, including overseeing projects subvented by the Government. More than 1,800 such projects, valued at $62 billion, were monitored in 2002;
(ii) professional and technical services for project management, design and supervision of the construction of the building projects in the Public Works Programme and those of the Hospital Authority (HA). During the year, the department's rolling programme covered 320 projects at a total value of $84 billion; and
(iii) building maintenance services, including the provision of general maintenance for all public buildings and facilities as well as those of the HA, covering a total floor area of approximately 26.7 million square metres. The department also undertakes conservation and restoration of listed buildings and gazetted monuments, and emergency and major repairs to all subvented schools outside public housing estates.
In January, the Government announced a plan for the re-engineering of the department. Under the plan, the department will focus on its strategic roles as the building authority for and steward of government buildings, and as the Government's corporate professional adviser on architectural policies, building planning and maintenance matters. The bulk of the building and maintenance works currently undertaken by the department will be gradually outsourced to the private sector. During the year, the level of outsourcing of new projects increased from 35% in 2001 to 52%.
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