Gov’t mulls prioritizing local employees in public works tenders

The government is considering prioritizing the hiring of local workers in public works tendering procedures.

Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam recently convened a meeting to discuss “optimizing public works tendering processes and encouraging young people to join the construction industry,” meeting with representatives from six local construction industry associations.

Regarding the optimization of public works tender procedures, a press release from Tam’s office on Tuesday stated that authorities will explore replacing the traditional “lowest bidder wins” model with a “reasonable price” approach to ensure smooth progress and quality completion of public works.

The Secretary noted that this initiative arises from “past projects being affected by abnormally low bid prices, which impacted engineering quality and progress.”

He believes, as cited by the statement, the proposed measure will improve the bidding process, encourage fair competition among businesses in the industry, and contribute to long-term growth and sustainability.

The statement also emphasized the opportunities for entry, training and promotion provided to local workers, especially young people. In light of this, according to the statement, future tender documents must include requirements to prioritize hiring local workers, set minimum hiring proportions where feasible, and encourage successful bidders to gradually increase the proportion of local workers in technical, managerial and professional roles.

The statement noted that the representatives expressed support for the new measures during the meeting.

In an interview with public broadcaster TDM, Leong Chong In, chairperson of the Macau Architects Association, said he believes these measures will significantly benefit the industry’s development.

He also suggested that future processes should incorporate institutional and scientific methods, such as inviting bids and conducting lotteries, to ensure fairer participation in the bidding system.

Meanwhile, during a recent session of the Legislative Assembly, lawmaker Leong Hong Sai raised concerns about the lack of young people entering the local construction industry.

He inquired whether the government would consider leveraging Hong Kong’s experience to promote smart construction and train more local talent for the sector.

Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) director Chan Un Tong responded that, in practical efforts to assist young people with job placement, “it is clear that the construction industry is not the first choice for many.”

He said the DSAL has been collaborating with several public entities to continuously gather information on job vacancies across various positions and make this information accessible to the public through established mechanisms.

Additionally, roles such as safety officers and safety supervisors are being created to attract young local people to the construction industry.