Starting from 1 January 2021, the Construction Industry Council will upgrade the plastering trade as the eighth designated trade under the Registered Specialist Trade Contractors (RSTC) Scheme to continue promoting the professional development of the industry.
The scheme currently applies to seven designated trades including concreting, concreting formwork, curtain wall, demolition, erection of concrete precast component, reinforcement bar fixing and scaffolding. Widely recognised by the industry since its establishment in 2019, the Development Bureau and the Housing Authority have required contractors to engage Registered Specialist Trade Contractors (RSTC) in public works projects.
Through the five core registration requirements of safety, management, finance, job experience and execution, the Scheme drives subcontractors to enhance their performances. After the upgrade of plastering trade, subcontractors holding valid registration at the plastering trade will be grandfathered as the Group 1 RSTCs without separate applications, but they have to meet the five core registration requirements within the 24-month transition period. If the subcontractors attain a higher standard in the five core registration requirements, they can apply to register as Group 2 RSTCs.
The Development Bureau and the Housing Authority will impose tender limits on subcontracts of plastering trade in their works contracts to be tendered out on or after 1 January 2022. By then, Group 1 RSTCs at plastering trade will not be allowed to undertake subcontracts of the respective trade with values over HKD10 million unless they get upgraded to the Group 2 registration. With a view to helping the industry learn more on the registration requirements, the CIC organises weekly online Induction Workshop to introduce the Scheme and the details of Group 1 and Group 2 RSTCs.
For details, please visit the Registered Specialist Trade Contractors Scheme’s website. — Construction+ Online
