Last Wednesday, a tragic three-alarm fire at the Wah Fung Building on Jordan Road in Hong Kong once again raised concerns in the community about whether the building has been following fire safety regulations and mandatory inspection orders. Some legislators have urged the authorities to strengthen penalties for those who fail to comply with mandatory inspection notices.
Tien Beichen from the Realpolitik Roundtable pointed out during a special finance committee meeting of the Legislative Council on the 17th, that since the Building Department issued mandatory inspection and mandatory window inspection orders to the building in question in July 2018, almost 6 years have passed and only the window inspection order has been complied with, while the mandatory building inspection order has still been ignored. The highest fine for related cases has also failed to act as a deterrent, leading to calls for stronger penalties for non-compliance with mandatory inspection notices.
In response, Development Bureau Director Ning Hanhao stated that in the past three years, the highest fine for those who did not comply with mandatory inspection notices was 33,000 Hong Kong dollars, with an average fine of 2,500 Hong Kong dollars, and there has never been a case of imprisonment or probation. She agreed that there is a need to increase penalties, but reiterated that the mandatory inspection notice is just for inspection, and finding issues during the inspection is not guaranteed. She emphasized that the severity of non-compliance is much lower compared to illegal structures and failure to comply with fire safety requirements, so a balance must be struck when enhancing penalties to avoid a sense of overbearing governance in society. She also mentioned considering streamlining procedures, such as requiring buildings to conduct inspections on their own once they reach a certain age, without waiting for notification from the Building Department, or else face a fixed penalty.
Ning Hanhao stated that the government will strengthen fire safety law enforcement and prosecution from various aspects, including deploying more personnel for inspections, revising enforcement priorities, focusing resources on dealing with single elevator buildings, multi-guesthouses, subdivided units, and high-risk buildings that have not complied with inspection notices or hired inspection personnel. The Fire Services Department will also join a collaborative platform led by the Development Bureau to enhance coordinated case management and public education at the district level, in cooperation with the Building Department, Home Affairs Department, and Buildings Department.
Responsibility Editor: Chen Zhen