Working well: Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport & Works Lo Yiu-ching says the construction sector has benefited most from CEPA.

Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport & Works Lo Yiu-ching says the construction sector has benefited most from the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a forum on CEPA today, Mr Lo attributed the encouraging results to the efforts made by the Mainland and Hong Kong Governments and the construction sectors.

In the construction and related engineering services, 23 Hong Kong contractors successfully got Grade A or above qualification certificates to establish their businesses on the Mainland.

In the construction engineering design services, another 23 Hong Kong consultant companies got Grade A or B qualification certificates.

Mutual recognition

"Up until now, mutual recognition agreements of professional qualification have been signed for five professions: real estate appraisers (estate surveyors in Hong Kong); architects; structural engineers; planners; and cost engineers (quantity surveyors in Hong Kong). A total of 1,290 people from the two places have so far obtained their reciprocal professional qualifications," Mr Lo said.

Professional bodies of both sides will continue to discuss the mutual recognition for construction supervising engineers, geotechnical engineers, electrical engineers, utility engineers, landscape architects and land surveyors.

Mr Lo said due to the differences in the systems and business environment between the two sides, the relevant sectors in Hong Kong might not understand fully the policy and implementation of CEPA in detail.

"Today's forum can provide an opportunity for the sectors to express their views on the provisions of CEPA, the market entry requirements and application procedures for qualification certificates as well as the issues relating to mutual recognition of professional qualifications."