“PMSA Annual Report 2022-23” Presented to the Legislative Council
Countdown to New Milestone for Property Management
The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) announced today that the “PMSA Annual Report 2022-23” (Annual Report) has been published in accordance with the requirement stipulated in the “Property Management Services Ordinance” (Cap. 626) (PMSO). The Annual Report, which has summarised the PMSA’s key accomplishments from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 and outlined future development plans, was presented to the Legislative Council today.
In the year of 2022-23, the new term of the PMSA took effect on 1 December 2022 for a period of three years. In addition to Members reappointed, there were also new appointments. Chairperson of the PMSA Dr James WONG said, “As the statutory regulatory body of the property management (PM) industry, the PMSA will, as it has always been, continue to strive and collaborate with various stakeholders of the PM industry to raise the professional status and service standard of the industry in Hong Kong and build a brighter future for the industry through “Regulating by Licensing”, “Setting Professional Standard” and “Encouraging Continuing Professional Development”, thereby providing members of the public with PM services of enhanced quality and professionalism, so that all enjoy living and working in our places.”
In addition to actively driving relevant property management companies (PMCs) and practitioners (PMPs) to apply for licence in the year of 2022-23 so as to ensure a smooth transition of the operation of the PM industry, the PMSA had continued to formulate Codes of Conduct and relevant Best Practice Guides (Codes and Guides) on various aspects of PM work in order to establish an objective set of professional standard for the provision of PM services. The PMSA had also launched the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Scheme on a voluntary participation basis in the year, which set criteria and requirement for licensed PMPs’ participation in CPD activities, encouraging them to acquire new knowledge and skills through the organization of various CPD seminars and activities so that the PM profession could raise its standard and advance with times. Furthermore, the PMSA was commissioned by the Government to implement the Anti-epidemic Support Scheme for Environmental Hygiene and Security Staff in Property Management Sector under the sixth round of the Anti-epidemic Fund and had processed over 18,100 applications and granted nearly $1.8 billion in subsidies benefitting almost 190,000 frontline PM workers who provided security or environmental hygiene related services in around 40,000 building blocks.
The three-year transitional period under the PM industry licensing regime ended on 31 July 2023. As of October 2023, the PMSA has issued over 750 PMC licences and more than 12,000 PMP licences. Nearly 4,000 provisional PMP licence holders have enrolled in the PMSA Specified Courses of which over 2,400 have completed the course within the validity of their provisional PMP licence and have successfully applied for formal PMP licence. The PMSA has also issued 18 Codes and Guides as of today covering different PM areas so as to enhance PMCs’ corporate governance, assist them in handling emergencies and accidents properly in order to minimize risks to occupants and members of the public, and at the same time strengthen the PM industry’s awareness of occupational and environmental safety so that PM workers and members of the public can be provided with a healthy and safe working and living environment. The PMSA has also implemented the CPD Scheme on mandatory basis by stages after the ending of the transitional period to require mandatory participation in CPD activities by licensed PMPs in order to drive the PM industry to advance with times and raise its professional standard and status. Licensed PMPs (Tier 1) will be required to participate in at least 12 hours of CPD activities/courses each year from 1 January 2024 onwards, and licensed PMPs (Tier 2) will be required to participate in at least 6 hours of CPD activities/courses each year from 1 January 2025 onwards. The PMSA has, from 1 August 2023 onwards, imposed condition on all newly issued and renewed PMP licences requiring mandatory participation in CPD activities. Non-compliance will affect future licence renewal.
Starting from 1 August 2023, all PMCs providing properties subject to deed of mutual covenant with more than one category of prescribed PM services, as well as PMPs serving managerial or supervisory roles in such PMCs to provide PM services, must hold valid PM licence in accordance with the PMSO in order to continue to provide PM services after the transitional period. A PMC required to be licensed cannot act as a PMC if it does not possess a valid PMC licence. For relevant PMPs, one cannot act as a licensed PMP if he/she does not possess a valid PMP licence. Contravention is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for two years.
The Annual Report has been uploaded onto the PMSA website. Members of the public may click the link below for details:
https://www.pmsa.org.hk/file/1431/PMSAAR2022-23_EN.pdf
Ends/Wednesday, 1 November 2023
Issued at HKT 11:00
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