The Government has proposed to revise the fee for providing a certified copy of a document under the Buildings Ordinance from $190 to $45.
The proposal was gazetted on May 19, 2000, and is due to come into effect on July 1, 2000.
Under section 36 of the Buildings Ordinance, the Building Authority may, upon payment of the prescribed fee, certify and issue copies or prints of document issued under the Ordinance to any person. The fee was last revised in June 1995.
A spokesman for the Planning and Lands Bureau today (May 22) explained that the Buildings Department has recently streamlined its procedures and the information access system in retrieving and copying documents.
As a result, the time and cost for retrieving documents has been significantly reduced, the spokesman said.
"The cost reduction is the result of streamlining of procedures and improvements in efficiency with the aid of information technology." he added.
The spokesman said that it is Government policy that fees should in general be set at levels sufficient to recover the full cost of providing the services. Costing reviews are normally conducted every four years.
A recent costing review indicated that the full cost of providing a certified copy of a document under the Buildings Ordinance at 2000-01 prices is $45.
He expected that the proposed fee revision could reduce the operating costs of those engaged in the trade.
End/Monday, May 22, 2000
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