Most of the 120 recommendations from the independent committee report on the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire could be implemented within a few months, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said on Friday.

"To implement the 120 recommendations as soon as possible, I believe, will help to quickly reduce the possibility of similar problems occurring again in the future. This is very important," he said during an RTHK programme.

Chan said the recommendations are very comprehensive and the government must draw lessons from the incident to reform and improve existing systems.

The chief secretary will lead a steering committee to review each of the 120 proposals, and drive and monitor the implementation of measures.

Chan said the committee would meet soon and assign each recommendation to the relevant departments.

Where a recommendation involves multiple departments, he said, the lead department responsible for overseeing implementation would be identified.

Each department would be required to submit a report to him on how the recommendation would be implemented or improved, and he would oversee the timeline for implementation

"There are several principles. First, it must be done very rigorously; second, it must be done very promptly; third, it must be effective — effectively achieving the goal," he said.

The chief secretary said some recommendations are already being rolled out.

He expressed hope that six bills, including amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance and the Competition Ordinance, could be submitted to the Legislative Council within the year.

Once enacted, he said, these laws would give enforcement and regulatory bodies sufficient powers to carry out their work.

On the proposal to set up a central database to share information, such as underperforming contractors, among government departments, Chan said preparation work may take a few months due to the need for data conversion and platform design.

He expects the system could be initially launched around May or June next year, and that the government would then be able to better serve the public.




Edited by Tony Sabine