Paying for Dis-trust: The Hidden Cost Behind Hong Kong’s High Construction Costs

28 September 2026

Hong Kong’s construction costs are among the highest in the world. Labour, materials and equipment are the costs we see and measure. But there is another cost that rarely appears on any bill of quantities, the hidden cost of managing mistrust.

This session argues that a meaningful share of Hong Kong’s construction cost premium is not driven by material prices or labour shortages. It is driven by adversarial behaviour, defensive contracting, and a missing governance layer around collaboration that the industry has quietly accepted for decades.

With full NEC implementation confirmed for all public works, the timing could not be more critical. A contract alone cannot substitute for the human choice to lead with integrity, or for the governance needed to sustain genuine mutual trust and co-operation in practice.

Drawing on over 30 years of Hong Kong infrastructure delivery, industry cost data and direct government engagement, this session asks: what will it actually take?

CPD Code:CPD20260928S
Organized:

Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers (HKICM)

Quantity Surveyors International (The QSi)

Date:28 September 2026 (Monday)
Time:7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Venue:1) Rooms 801-2, On Lok Yuen Building, 25 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong

2) By online media - ZOOM
Speaker(s):

Tim Leung CEng CSci FICE FIMMM FHKIE正高级工程师 | Adjudicator

 

Tim Leung is the Founder and Director of Apex Tech Solutions (ATS) Ltd, a Hong Kong-based engineering advisory, project management and dispute resolution consultancy.

 

With over 30 years of Hong Kong infrastructure delivery experience, Tim has held senior leadership roles at Paul Y. Engineering Group, where he led a peak team of over 1,000 people and managed a portfolio exceeding HK$20 billion, and Director of Business Development at China State Construction Engineering (HK) Ltd.

 

He is a Panel Adjudicator of the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) under the Construction Industry Security of Payment Ordinance (Cap. 652), and was named NEC Business Leader of the Year at the NEC Martin Barnes Awards 2024.

 

Tim has authored a number of publications related to NEC and collaborative contracting in Hong Kong, GBA and the UK.

Language:Cantonese supplemented by English
CPD Hour(s):1.5
Priority:HKICM & The QSi Member; First-come, first-served
Enrollment Fee:HKICM & The QSi Member HK$150.00
Non-member HK$180.00
Deadline:21 September 2026 (Monday)
Register Link:Register

Important Notes:

  1. This is an online pre-registration only and the seat reserved will only be confirmed by an e-mail sent to the successful registrant in due course upon receipt of the registration fee.
  2. The talk will be conducted online via Zoom. Successful registrants will be notified separately via email with the meeting ID in due course to the online event . 
  3. Information collected, including name, phone number, email address and postal address, will only be used for the purpose of processing booking or general enquires related to HKICM, and will be treated in confidence and not be disclosed to any other party. 
  4. HKICM reserves the right of final decision and interpretation in the case of any dispute.

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