Joint press release: ICAC and CIC step up joint efforts to enhance regulatory actions against registered companies breaching integrity requirements under Registered Specialist Trade Contractors Scheme
2025-10-23
The ICAC and the Construction Industry Council (CIC) have been working closely to promote anti-corruption measures and strengthen corporate governance within the construction industry, aiming to foster a culture of integrity and enhance the long-term competitiveness of the industry.
In 2021, the ICAC, in collaboration with the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the CIC, launched the “Integrity Charter” to encourage contractors to implement integrity management system. That same year, the CIC incorporated “integrity management” as one of the registration requirements for registering for the Registered Specialist Trade Contractors Scheme (RSTCS). The ICAC and the CIC continued to jointly strengthen professional ethics and integrity standards across the sector.
The CIC recently took regulatory actions against two registered subcontractors found to have breached the integrity management requirements. These actions stemmed from two cases prosecuted by the ICAC involving taking illegal referral fees from construction workers (Note 1). Upon receiving the ICAC’s referral, the CIC followed up on whether the companies involved had breached the integrity management requirements under RSTCS. Following regulatory hearings conducted under the RSTCS mechanism, the CIC revoked the registration of one of the companies concerned and suspended the registration of another company for six months.
Mr Martin Lee King-man, ICAC’s Director of Corruption Prevention, welcomed the CIC’s regulatory actions. He noted that the regulatory actions demonstrated both the ICAC and the CIC attached great importance to integrity and professional standards in the industry, and also served as a reminder to registered subcontractors of the importance of internal governance and the serious consequences of breaching integrity management requirements.
The ICAC will continue to collaborate with the DEVB, the CIC, and industry stakeholders to raise awareness of anti-corruption practices and promote ethical conduct among practitioners.
Ir Albert Cheng, Executive Director of the CIC, emphasised that integrity was a core value essential to the sustainable development of the construction industry. The CIC firmly believed that a robust integrity management system could help foster a probity culture and support the healthy growth of the sector. In addition to enhancing deterrence through effective regulatory mechanisms, the CIC, in collaboration with the ICAC, introduced the Integrity Management Award in 2024 under the Main Contractor Category of the CIC Outstanding Contractor Award to recognise contractors who had adopted the “Integrity Charter 2.0” and demonstrated excellence in integrity management.
Note 1:
• Case 1: In mid-December 2024, the ICAC charged two foremen of a subcontractor for allegedly accepting over HK$6 million in bribes from 58 construction workers in exchange for employment.
• Case 2: In April 2025, the ICAC charged a director of a subcontractor for allegedly accepting over HK$1 million in bribes from 21 construction workers to facilitate their employment.
In 2021, the ICAC, in collaboration with the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the CIC, launched the “Integrity Charter” to encourage contractors to implement integrity management system. That same year, the CIC incorporated “integrity management” as one of the registration requirements for registering for the Registered Specialist Trade Contractors Scheme (RSTCS). The ICAC and the CIC continued to jointly strengthen professional ethics and integrity standards across the sector.
The CIC recently took regulatory actions against two registered subcontractors found to have breached the integrity management requirements. These actions stemmed from two cases prosecuted by the ICAC involving taking illegal referral fees from construction workers (Note 1). Upon receiving the ICAC’s referral, the CIC followed up on whether the companies involved had breached the integrity management requirements under RSTCS. Following regulatory hearings conducted under the RSTCS mechanism, the CIC revoked the registration of one of the companies concerned and suspended the registration of another company for six months.
Mr Martin Lee King-man, ICAC’s Director of Corruption Prevention, welcomed the CIC’s regulatory actions. He noted that the regulatory actions demonstrated both the ICAC and the CIC attached great importance to integrity and professional standards in the industry, and also served as a reminder to registered subcontractors of the importance of internal governance and the serious consequences of breaching integrity management requirements.
The ICAC will continue to collaborate with the DEVB, the CIC, and industry stakeholders to raise awareness of anti-corruption practices and promote ethical conduct among practitioners.
Ir Albert Cheng, Executive Director of the CIC, emphasised that integrity was a core value essential to the sustainable development of the construction industry. The CIC firmly believed that a robust integrity management system could help foster a probity culture and support the healthy growth of the sector. In addition to enhancing deterrence through effective regulatory mechanisms, the CIC, in collaboration with the ICAC, introduced the Integrity Management Award in 2024 under the Main Contractor Category of the CIC Outstanding Contractor Award to recognise contractors who had adopted the “Integrity Charter 2.0” and demonstrated excellence in integrity management.
Note 1:
• Case 1: In mid-December 2024, the ICAC charged two foremen of a subcontractor for allegedly accepting over HK$6 million in bribes from 58 construction workers in exchange for employment.
• Case 2: In April 2025, the ICAC charged a director of a subcontractor for allegedly accepting over HK$1 million in bribes from 21 construction workers to facilitate their employment.