FS convenes meeting to enhance co-ordination of financial support for residents affected by Tai Po fire
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, this afternoon (November 28) convened a coordination meeting with financial regulators to enhance support for residents affected by the recent fire incident at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, attended the meeting, along with senior representatives from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Insurance Authority (IA), the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Schemes Authority, and the Securities and Futures Commission.
At the meeting, Mr Chan instructed the financial regulators to step up coordination and mobilise banks, insurance companies, MPF trustees and other financial institutions to provide timely and effective assistance to the affected residents. For examples:
- proactively reaching out to affected residents to understand their needs and offer assistance;
- streamlining procedures and expediting the processing of service and claims applications with discretion, wherever possible;
- adopting a lenient approach in handling delayed payments of loans, contributions and insurance premiums by affected individuals;
- giving priority and simplifying procedures in handling account matters related to the deceased;
- establishing a cross-sectoral coordination mechanism among financial institutions to enhance information flow and speed up response efforts; and
- extending service hours of bank branches in the district on Saturdays and Sundays to better serve local residents.
Mr Chan said, "The residents affected by the fire are going through an extremely difficult time. Financial institutions should adopt a compassionate and empathetic approach, respond flexibly to the actual circumstances and needs of each family, and proactively provide appropriate support."
He stressed that addressing the immediate needs of the affected residents is the top priority. During the post-incident recovery and beyond, sustained support and care to the residents will be essential. He expressed hope that banks, insurers and other financial service providers would introduce ongoing support measures to help relieve any future financial pressure faced by the affected residents.
In line with the above directives, the HKMA and the Hong Kong Association of Banks will separately announce further measures today.
Separately, the IA has set up a dedicated task force to coordinate the insurance sector's responses, including the handling of public enquiries and claims. Insurers are also offering various forms of assistance, including prioritising claims processing, expediting payouts (such as waiving the requirement to produce a death certificate for death benefit claims), offering premium holidays or extended payment deadlines, and providing interest relief on policy loans. Some insurers are also providing emergency cash assistance or making advance payments to cover temporary accommodation costs.
Re-launch of Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works in New Territories Exempted Houses
Following the direction of earlier proposals, the Buildings Department (BD) announced today (April 1) the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works (UBWs) in New Territories Exempted Houses (NTEHs). The reporting period will last for one year from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
"In view of the history and unique circumstances of the NTEHs (commonly known as village houses), the Government launched a one-off administrative reporting scheme in 2012 as a special arrangement. Under the scheme, owners could report to the BD about UBWs that were erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law. The reporting period ended in December 2012. The Development Bureau (DEVB) put forward proposals to amend the Buildings Ordinance in December 2024, which included rationalising the policy for handling UBWs. The DEVB also pointed out that in response to the views of villagers and Legislative Council members that the reporting period was too short, the Government prepared to re-launch the Reporting Scheme to allow owners who at that time did not report their UBWs to do so," a spokesman for the BD said.
Relevant stakeholders and Legislative Council members generally considered the above proposals practical and feasible, and they welcomed the proposals. The DEVB and the BD have also consulted Heung Yee Kuk on the relevant implementation arrangements.
The re-launched Reporting Scheme will maintain the original criteria, including:
(1) The types of UBWs that can be reported and their erection dates are the same as the original Reporting Scheme, meaning that only UBWs erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law and were not the First Round Targets (Note) are eligible. Examples include signboards projecting from the external walls of village houses; enclosed rooftop structures with a coverage of not more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area of the main building.
(2) Same as the original Reporting Scheme, owners are required to conduct safety inspections on the reported UBWs every five years.
"The BD will not require the immediate removal of the reported UBWs unless their structures become obviously dangerous. Regarding UBWs in village houses, the BD is prioritising the handling of First Round Targets. If any relevant UBWs remain not reported after the application deadline of March 31, 2027, the BD will, after dealing with the First Round Targets, take priority enforcement action against the non-reported UBWs. The BD will formulate enforcement strategy for the reported UBWs at a later stage in accordance with the risks and the actual situation," the spokesman added.
To enhance the efficiency of processing applications, reports must be submitted via the electronic platform on the BD's website by technically competent persons or registered professional engineers appointed by owners. In accordance with the user-pays principle, an administrative fee of $600 is payable for each application. Upon successful reports, owners must also pay the relevant administrative fee when conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years.
Details of the re-launched Reporting Scheme are available on the BD's website at https://www.bd.gov.hk/en/safety-inspection/ubw/UBW-in-new-territories-exempted-houses/index_relaunch_reporting_scheme.html; Villagers who wish to report can call 2626 1616 for enquiry. The BD will also use different channels such as distributing leaflets and posters to Rural Committees to enable villagers to know more about the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme.
Owners who had successfully participated in the Reporting Scheme in 2012 are not required to submit reports again. However, they must continue to comply with the requirements of the original Reporting Scheme, including conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years, submitting safety certificates and paying administrative fees to the BD.
Note: The First Round Targets refer to UBWs with higher potential risks and more serious nature, such as village houses of four storeys or more, and enclosed rooftop structures covering more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area.
Source: AI-found images
