Second Round of Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme opens for application starting from 6 January

The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) announced that the second round of Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme (LIMSS) is opened for application from today (6 January 2020) to 30 June 2020. For representatives of owners organisations who are interested to apply but unable to make an application in time for the first round of application for the LIMSS can now join the second round.

To promote lift modernisation and to enhance the safety level of aged lifts, the Government launched the LIMSS in 2019 in partnership with the URA to provide financial assistance and professional support to encourage building owners in need to expedite the planning and commencement of lift modernisation works.

The first round of application for the LIMSS ran from 29 March 2019 to 1 Aug 2019 with applications involving around 5,000 lifts received. The URA has completed setting the priority of eligible cases based on risk assessment and some 1,400 lifts have been included in the first round for subsidy. The URA has arranged case officers to assist the respective applicants in organising or conducting lift modernisation works through the provision of free consultancy service to assist the owners in cost estimation of works, preparation of tender documents, tendering for contractors through electronic platform, management of works contract etc.

The application requirements and subsidy of the second round of LIMSS are the same as the first round. The details are given at the Annex.

For eligible buildings that have submitted applications but were not included in the first round of LIMSS, the URA will contact the applicants by post for information updates. They will be included in the second round automatically without the need to re-submit their applications. These applications, together with eligible applications received in the second round of LIMSS, will be prioritised under the same prioritisation mechanism. The URA will notify all applicants of the result of priority ranking of the second round of LIMSS application in the fourth quarter of 2020.

To enable the public to understand the details and application methods of the LIMSS, the URA and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department will jointly organise a total of 5 briefing sessions in various districts across the city in March 2020. Invitation letters will be sent to owners of the target buildings who did not join the first round of LIMSS to invite them to attend the above briefing sessions. Besides, the URA will also partner with 11 local organisations to promote the scheme to the general public and building owners through reaching out to the target buildings and assisting them in their applications. In addition, the URA will introduce the scheme at the briefings of the Central Platform on Building Management held by the Home Affairs Department in different districts from January to June 2020.

The application form and guidance notes of the second round of LIMSS can be downloaded from the website of the Building Rehabilitation Platform (BRP) (http://www.brplatform.org.hk) from today onwards. Application form can also be obtained from the following offices:

URA Headquarters: 26/F COSCO Tower, 183 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong;
URA Building Rehabilitation Division Office: Unit 1001, 10/F, Tower 2, Cheung Sha Wan Plaza, 833 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon;
Urban Renewal Resource Centre: 1/F, No. 6, Fuk Tsun Street, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon;
URA Neighbourhood Centre: Units K & L, 1/F, Sunshine Plaza, 17 Sung On Street, Hunghom; and
Home Affairs Enquiry Centres in various districts

Duly completed form can be sent to the URA by post or in person.

Online application is also available via the BRP website.

For details about LIMSS, members of the public can call the Hotline at 3188 1188 for enquiries.

Annex

Application Details for the second round of Lift Modernisation Subsidy Scheme

Application Details
Application Period	6 January to 30 June 2020
Eligible buildings	Private residential or composite (residential and commercial) buildings Average rateable values of all domestic units for year 2017/18 in a participating building should not: exceed $162,000 per annum for urban areas (including Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan Districts); exceed $124,000 per annum for New Territories (excluding Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan Districts) Lifts in the buildings have not been equipped with any or all of the “essential safety devices” (see Item(a) below) Eligible buildings do not include those buildings / estates solely owned by the Government, an individual or an individual organisation
Eligible works items	(a) Addition of the following safety devices: Essential safety devices (i) Double brake system; (ii) Unintended car movement protection device; (iii) Ascending car overspeed protection device; and (iv) Car door mechanical lock and door safety edge; Optional safety devices (v) Intercom and CCTV system; (vi) Obstruction switch; and/or (vii) Automatic rescue device (b) Lift drive replacement and associated works where it is technically necessary or more cost-effective in order to install the “essential safety devices” listed in Item (a) above; (c) Complete replacement of a lift which has not been equipped with any or all of the “essential safety devices” listed in Item (a) above; (d) Subsequent follow-up services during defect liability period for the related safety devices in Item (a) and (b) or lift in (c) above but exclusive of routine maintenance services
Form and level of subsidy	Subsidise maximum 60% of the total cost of the modernisation works, subject to a cap of $500,000 per lift URA will arrange consultant to provide free service (a maximum two times of tendering services), including cost estimation (for budgeting purpose), tender document preparation, tender evaluation (limited to offering technical advice), works supervision and contract management. If owners appoint their own consultant to co-ordinate the modernisation works, relevant consultancy fee will be subsidised, subject to a cap of $20,000 per lift Total subsidy for owner appointed consultancy fee (if applicable) and the total cost of the modernisation works listed in Item (a) is capped at $500,000 per lift Subsidise eligible elderly owner-occupiers aged 60 or above the full cost of the modernisation works and consultancy fee of owner appointed consultant (if applicable) that they have to contribute, subject to a cap of $50,000 per domestic unit

(ENDS)

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