Bd launches final stage of electronic submission hub to enhance efficiency and promote environmental friendliness in building plan processing towards smart city blueprint.
The Buildings Department (BD) today (June 30) launched the final stage, i.e. Stage 3 of the Electronic Submission Hub (ESH) (esh.bd.gov.hk) to accept all types of plan submissions and related applications, including general building plans and plans for alteration and addition works, under the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) (BO). The 35 government departments and organisations responsible for processing such plans, building professionals and stakeholders could witness enhanced efficiency through ESH adoption.
While paper submission is allowed, building professionals are encouraged to opt for ESH to fully utilise its many features and enjoy its benefits, including:
(a) Enhanced efficiency of the Centralised Processing System (CPS) in full electronic form
Thirty-five government departments and organisations (CPS participants) including the BD may instantly and concurrently receive all types of building plans and documents via the electronic platform, obviating the need for transmission of paper documents between BD and CPS participants, thus enhancing efficiency. The ESH allows easy tracking of progress at different departments and more convenient and direct communication between the applicants, BD and CPS participants, thus enhancing transparency of plan processing.
(b) Promoting greater use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology
In March 2024, the BD officially launched the BIM Area Tool for design review and compliance checking of floor area calculations in general building plans using BIM. This BIM Area Tool saves time and manpower in verifying numerical accuracy of the calculations for compliance with the BO. The full implementation of ESH will further promote the use of BIM technology and pave the way towards the goal of full adoption of BIM for preparation of electronic submission of building plans.
(c) Environmental friendliness
Since the launch of the first and second stages of ESH in 2022 and 2023 respectively, the ESH has saved over 66,000 sheets of A1 sized paper drawings and over 4.8 million pages of paper documents. With the launch of Stage 3 of ESH covering general building plans, registered building professionals no longer have to print some 10 copies of the plans for BD and different CPS participants to process the submissions. Not only will paper be saved, the need for printing and transportation for deliveries will also be saved, further contributing to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable development.
The launch of Stage 3 of ESH marks a significant milestone in achieving the initiative under the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong. The BD will continue to enhance and improve the system’s capacity in light of users’ feedback to pave the way for mandating e-submissions of building plans in 2027.
Starting in 2024, the BD organised a series of briefing sessions and workshops for building professionals and stakeholders to introduce the features of ESH and highlight its benefits. Additionally, the BD arranged multiple visits to provide technical support and hands-on assistance at their offices as well as to gather feedback for further system improvement. Such promotional activities will continue after the launch of Stage 3 of ESH.
The BD strongly encourages registered building professionals to submit plans electronically via the ESH. Practice Note for Authorized Persons, Registered Structural Engineers and Registered Geotechnical Engineers ADM-17 and Practice Note for Registered Contractors 42 have been published on the BD website (www.bd.gov.hk). A dedicated hotline at 3580 1000 and an email address at esh-helpdesk@bd.gov.hk have also been set up to provide technical support to users.
Source: AI-generated images
Sheto celebrates 27th anniversary of hksar with diverse events in shanghai, promoting hong kong's cultural charm and travel experiences
To celebrate the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai (SHETO) unveiled a series of diverse events today (July 1) in Shanghai to encourage Mainland citizens to experience the joy of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.
SHETO today held a reception at Zhang Yuan, a famous Shanghai-styled complex, to celebrate the 27th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Some 130 representatives from relevant government departments, institutions, chambers of commerce, enterprises and Hong Kong groups in Shanghai attended the reception.
Delivering a speech at the reception, the Director of SHETO, Mrs Laura Aron, said the ties between Shanghai and Hong Kong have been strong over the past years. The Sixth Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Shanghai Co-operation Conference was held in Hong Kong in April this year, where consensus was reached on further measures in 15 co-operation areas. A total of 20 co-operation agreements were signed by government departments and relevant organisations. The successful conference marked a new milestone and created new opportunities for Shanghai-Hong Kong co-operation.
Mrs Aron thanked the Shanghai Municipal Government for its high regard for Shanghai-Hong Kong co-operation over the years, as well as for its continuous support of Hong Kong and SHETO.
The reception also featured performances by several emerging young Hong Kong artists, showcasing the charm of Hong Kong's diverse cultural offerings through performances of Cantonese opera and a string quartet.
SHETO also organised an exhibition at Zhang Yuan with the theme of "Fun in Hong Kong", promoting Hong Kong's diversity and fresh new travel experiences to visitors to implement the concept of "tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong". The exhibition featured various interactive games for the public to experience and feel Hong Kong in different forms. These included using generative artificial intelligence technology to create Hong Kong-themed characters, location identification based on sounds, simulating a tram tour of Hong Kong, and more, all designed to arouse people's interest in visiting Hong Kong and experiencing it first-hand.
The exhibition also presented a calendar of over 100 major events in Hong Kong for the second half of the year, including cultural and artistic events, sports activities, conferences and exhibitions, financial and economic initiatives, festivals and celebrations, and performances in various fields. Additionally, a dedicated area was set up to introduce Hong Kong's various talent schemes, welcoming talent and professionals from different industries and sectors to develop, work, and settle in Hong Kong.
The exhibition is open to the public from today until July 7 (Sunday) on the first floor of Building W7, Zhang Yuan, Shanghai. Admission is free.
SHETO also collaborated with the Hong Kong Tourism Board to showcase the latest tourism features of Hong Kong by dressing up two sightseeing trams in Shanghai's bustling Nanjing East Road pedestrian mall. These cars will shuttle along the street until July 31. Visitors from around the world and Mainland China can obtain the latest travel information about Hong Kong while experiencing the urban landscape of Shanghai during the ride.
SHETO will continue to hold exhibitions, cultural performances, youth activities, and economic and trade seminars in the East China region (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and Shandong provinces) to comprehensively promote Hong Kong to Mainland audiences. Members of the public can learn more details on SHETO's official WeChat account.
SHETO organises diversified events in Shanghai to celebrate 27th anniversary of HKSAR establishment Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SHETO organises diversified events in Shanghai to celebrate 27th anniversary of HKSAR establishment Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SHETO organises diversified events in Shanghai to celebrate 27th anniversary of HKSAR establishment Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SHETO organises diversified events in Shanghai to celebrate 27th anniversary of HKSAR establishment Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
SHETO organises diversified events in Shanghai to celebrate 27th anniversary of HKSAR establishment Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
