Ventures Dialogue

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government invited expressions of interest (EOI) from overseas parties, including Canadian, in developing private hospitals at sites in Wong Chuk Hang, Tseung Kwan O, Tai Po and Lantau.  Deadline for submitting EOI is March 31, 2010.

The Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, of the HKSAR Government said: “Promoting private hospital development is one of the initiatives under the healthcare reform and a major government policy announced by the Chief Executive in his 2009-10 Policy Address.

“The Hong Kong Government aims to increase the overall capacity of the healthcare system of Hong Kong through the promotion of private hospital development, so as to address the imbalance between the public and private sectors in hospital services and to ensure our healthcare system can continue to provide quality healthcare services to the public, and to cope with the increasing service demand.

“Besides, Hong Kong is renowned for its high standard of professional healthcare as well as advancement in medical technology and equipment, and we have the advantages and potential in further developing our medical services.

“Through developing private hospitals, it is hoped that our medical industry can turn into one of the industries crucial to the development of Hong Kong’s economy,”  Dr Chow added.

To achieve the goal, the Food and Health bureau has proposed a set of special requirements for development of the four sites that have been identified and reserved for private hospital development. The special requirements cover aspects of restriction on land use, date of commencement of operation of the new hospital, bed capacity, service scope, price transparency, service standard and remedy for non-compliance.

“We will work out the appropriate land disposal arrangements for the four reserved hospital sites, including the means and timing for land disposal, the detailed special requirements and the land premium for the four sites, after considering all the responses and feedback received in the EOI exercise,” Dr Chow said.

The EOI exercise is conducted on a non-committal basis and does not form part of the process for acquiring the sites by interested parties.

Details of the EOI requirements and relevant information are available at the website of the bureau.   An advertisement on the “Private Hospital Development” was published in the December 15 edition of the Globe and Mail.

Interested parties should submit the EOI in English in accordance with the instructions given in the EOI document before 5pm on March 31, 2010, Hong Kong time (GMT +8 hours).

For enquiries, please email EOIenquiry@fhb.gov.hk.

International companies, including those in Canada, engaging in the field of architecture, planning and engineering, as well as general public, are invited to submit their innovative ideas and concepts for the design and construction of the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF) of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB).

At the launching ceremony on the commencement of detailed ground investigation works for the HKBCF of the HZMB held recently, Secretary for Transport and Housing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, Ms Eva Cheng, said the HKBCF was a very important part of the HZMB’s construction works within Hong Kong territory – it will fit in with the Hong Kong Link Road, Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link and Tuen Mun Western Bypass to form a strategic road network, which would further enhance Hong Kong’s status as an international transportation and aviation hub.

To cope with the schedule of the HZMB project and allow detailed design of the HKBCF to begin next year, a design ideas competition was launched.  Interested parties are invited to submit their innovative designs to either the Professional Group or the Open Group. 

Headed by renowned architect Mr Richard Hawkins of Foster + Partners, the jury comprises six other professionals and celebrities from the Mainland China, Hong Kong and overseas. The jury will assess the entries based on five criteria, which are:  innovation and creativity; aesthetics and identity/icon; environmental friendliness; functionality, effectiveness and buildability; and harmony with the neighbourhood.

The competition is now open for entries.  Closing date for registration is February 8, 2010. 

Details of the competition are available on the website.  The winning list will be announced in May 2010 and the winning design ideas will be the reference for the future detailed design of the HKBCF.

Ontario’s infrastracture will benefit from significant investments, announced by the governments of Canada and Ontario yesterday.  The infrastructure Framework Agreement worth more than $6.2 billion under Building Canada, the Government of Canada’s long-term infrastructure plan, will include badly needed funds for municipalities, as well as for significant infrastructure projects throughout the province.  These projects will help to create a stronger climate for business and investment and reduce traffic congestion, estimated by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to cost the Ontario economy $2 billion each year.   Continue reading ‘Infrastructure Investments to Strengthen Ontario’