Housing Bureau Abolishes Independent Checking Unit After Tai Po Fire, 300 Civil Servants to Move to New Regulator

The authorities announced the abolition of the Housing Bureau's Independent Checking Unit (ICU), to be replaced in November by the newly established Public Housing Construction Control Office, with about 300 civil servants to move to the new body. The independent investigation report criticised the ICU for lax supervision of the maintenance works at Wang Fuk Court and said it handled residents' complaints improperly; the new office will adopt a project-based model and assign a dedicated liaison officer to each maintenance project.