The head of a construction sector union on Monday said the decision by authorities to file more than 200 charges over a Kwun Tong housing project will have a strong deterrent effect.

On Friday, the Buildings Department charged two companies and seven individuals in connection with alleged substandard reinforcement bars used in six residential towers on Anderson Road.

The Construction Industry Employees General Union's Chau Sze-kit is also of the view that improvements can be made to the regulatory regime.

"The two firms prosecuted in this case involve essentially the same group of personnel," he said on an RTHK programme.

"From what we understand, Superb Interior took over the project from Aggressive Construction, but their original team continued doing the same work. In other words, they changed the packaging, not the product."

Chau urged authorities to conduct more spot checks and use drones to monitor construction work.

For his part, engineering sector lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok noted it’s rare to see more than 200 charges filed over a single project.

He said the public can rest assured that most people in the construction industry do not cut corners on materials.

"In Hong Kong, we’ve always put a strong emphasis on construction safety, which has earned the public’s trust," Lo said on the programme.

"Most projects are carried out responsibly, with everyone involved following the rules.”

Lo said the incident showed the SAR has a robust system to ensure construction work is carried out properly.