HONG KONG, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Thursday released a report on the investigation into a major fire at the residential complex Wang Fuk Court, announcing accountability measures and follow-up reforms.
At a press conference, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee apologized for the deadly blaze. The HKSAR government has decided which principal official should bear political accountability, he said, pledging to pursue criminal proceedings against those involved and the companies linked to the incident, and investigate relevant civil servants.
Lee said he has accepted the resignation of Housing Secretary Winnie Ho, appointing Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong as the acting secretary for housing.
So far, Hong Kong police and anti-corruption authorities have charged seven people and two companies with a total of 25 offenses.
Based on the independent committee's report, the HKSAR government will undertake comprehensive reforms, including banning bid-rigging in building maintenance projects, establishing a building maintenance support and services bureau, setting up a central data system and a supervisory committee chaired by the chief secretary for administration, Lee said.
Lee also vowed to spare no effort in leading the government in resolving the problems and implementing comprehensive overhauls to ensure that no similar incident occurs again.
Also speaking at the press conference, Chief Secretary for Administration Chan Kwok-ki said that the supervisory committee he chairs will track the implementation of reform measures and push them forward in a rigorous and efficient manner.
The HKSAR government will criminalize bid-rigging in building renovation projects under the competition framework and continue to assist relevant policy bureaus in amending and refining other ordinances related to building management and safety, said Secretary for Justice Paul Lam.
