Secretary for Development appreciates contributions by Mr Mak Chai-kwong and Mrs Ava Ng

The Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, expressed gratitude to the Permanent Secretary for Works, Mr Mak Chai-kwong, and the Director of Planning, Mrs Ava Ng, whose retirement from the civil service was announced today (May 24).

"I am extremely grateful to Mr Mak and Mrs Ng for their dedication to and support for the work of Development Bureau for the last three years.  Both senior colleagues have provided pivotal inputs to delivering the bureau's vision.

"Under the capable leadership and strong project management experience of Mr Mak, we have put the Government's infrastructure programme on a very solid basis.  As a result, the Government's expenditure in public works has substantially increased from $20 billion in 2007-08 to $50 billion in 2010-11.

"The commitment and devotion of Mr Mak in enhancing safety, quality and sustainability in our public works projects is highly regarded by members of the construction industry.

"I wish in particular to pay tribute to Mr Mak for his drive and passion in overseeing the HKSAR Government's reconstruction works in Sichuan.  With his professional knowledge and great wealth of experience in project management, Mr Mak helped formulate an appropriate strategy on the reconstruction programmes, and established a mechanism to monitor and implement the reconstruction projects.  He made 15 trips to Sichuan Province to monitor the work progress and liaise with the Sichuan authorities.

"I am pleased that Mr Mak has kindly accepted my invitation to continue his participation in our Sichuan reconstruction efforts as a part-time consultant after his retirement.  He will be appointed leader of the reconstruction team in the Development Bureau, initially for one year, to monitor and coordinate the work.  I am confident that Mr Mak's continued participation will help ensure the successful implementation of those projects.

"In her 33 years of service as a professional town planner, Mrs Ava Ng has made significant contributions towards making Hong Kong a better place to live.

"In recent years, to meet rising aspirations of the community for a better living environment, the Planning Department, under the leadership of Mrs Ng, has undertaken massive work in supporting the Town Planning Board in its review of the relevant Outline Zoning Plans.   

"I wish to pay tribute to Mrs Ng for leading her colleagues to pioneer new modes of public engagement which were successfully applied in the planning of the Kai Tak Development and the new Central harbourfront.

"Worthy of particular mention is the instrumental role she played in 2007 in mapping out the 'Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy', which sets out important directions for Hong Kong's spatial development to meet our challenges of the future. She has also provided valuable input to various cross-boundary planning studies, the results of which help to position Hong Kong well for the future as our social and economic integration with the Mainland intensifies.”

Mrs Lam extended her welcome to Mr Wai Chi-sing and Mr Jimmy Leung who will assume the position of Permanent Secretary for Works and Director of Planning respectively next month.  She expressed confidence that the two senior colleagues would continue to press ahead with the Development Bureau's mission and rise to the challenge.

"I wish Mr Mak and Mrs Ng a happy retirement and look forward to working with Mr Wai and Mr Leung," Mrs Lam said.

Ends/Monday, May 24, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:18

NNNN


Back