Hong Kong should make bid-rigging a crime in the wake of the city’s deadliest fire in decades, a local think tank has urged, echoing a similar call from the city’s barristers.
The proposal by the POD Research Institute came after the Hong Kong Bar Association formed a task force to review existing legislation following the deadly fire in Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court, which tore through seven of the eight blocks under maintenance in November.
The blaze, which killed at least 161 people and displaced 5,000 residents, has raised concerns over the tendering of maintenance projects after scaffold nets that failed fire-retardant tests were found at the scene.
Currently, bid-rigging is classified as “serious anticompetitive conduct” under the Competition Ordinance and is punishable only by fines.
“Criminalising bid-rigging is the most effective way to address the issue, as it would provide an immediate remedy and significantly bolster the deterrent effect against such practices,” said Ronny Tong Ka-wah, the head of the institute and a member of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council.
Tong said introducing criminal penalties for bid-rigging would not be a complicated process and should not take long to implement.
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