No thanks, Hong Kong construction professionals say when told of easier access to mainland jobs
City’s development chief wants to expand cross-border flows of qualified personnel but industry members say there’s enough work in Hong Kong to keep them busy
Hong Kong and mainland authorities are in talks to allow more construction professionals to work on either side of the border without taking additional tests to qualify, according to the city’s development chief.
Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun made the announcement on Tuesday, but local industry members said in response they were not keen on working in mainland China because there was still a huge demand for such services in Hong Kong.
Speaking on the last day of his three-day visit to Beijing, Wong said he had discussed with officials from the country’s Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on plans to expand the scheme in which construction professionals from both sides of the border were mutually recognised.
Under the present reciprocal scheme, six types of construction professionals – general practice surveyors, architects, structural engineers, planners, quantity surveyors and building surveyors – from Hong Kong and the mainland are already allowed to work on either side without the hassle of taking extra qualification exams.
“We discussed with [the ministry] the mutual recognition of professional qualifications for the construction sector to see if there are any ways Hong Kong professionals can be exempted from examinations in getting mainland credentials if they meet certain criteria,” he said, adding that a task force would be set up to look into the matter.
