Following is a question by the Hon LAU Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (October 9) :
Question:
A member of the public has told me that, although locally-produced floor tiles are of a quality comparable to that of imported ones, imported floor tiles which more than double the price of locally-produced floor tiles have been selected for use in some government projects. Regarding the selection and procurement by the Administration of building materials for public works projects, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the criteria adopted by government departments for selecting and procuring building materials; and
(b) whether there are statistics showing the relative proportions of various types of imported and locally-produced building materials used in the past two years in public works projects awarded by government departments?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The criteria adopted by government departments for selecting and procuring building materials used in public works projects are as follows:
(i) Function - whether the material will perform the required functions;
(ii) Quality - how well the material will meet the functional requirements, i.e. strength, durability, resistance to abrasion, conductive capability, safety and environmental considerations;
(iii) Budget - whether the material will provide good value for money subject to the price not exceeding the budget; and
(iv) Compatibility with other materials - whether the selected material is compatible with the design and other materials in terms of consistency, style, aesthetics, etc.
(b) Acceptance of building materials for public works projects is not based on country of origin but on whether the material will comply with the contract specification. The Government has therefore not maintained specific statistical records showing the relative proportions of various types of imported and locally produced building materials used in public works projects.
End/Wednesday, October 9, 2002
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