DriversforAdoptingPPPRe:DriversforAdoptingPublicPrivatePartnerships–EmpiricalComparisonbetweenChinaandHongKongSpecialAdministrativeRegion
Authors:AlbertPCChan,PatrickTILam,DanielWMChan,EstherCheungandYongjianKe
JournalofConstructionEngineeringandManagement,ASCE,135(11):1115-1124.(SCI:508FO;EI:20094312399867)
Abstract
Theprivatesectorhaslongbeeninvolvedindeliveringpublicsectorprojects,whetheritsrolehasbeenasapartnerorjustasacontractorforthegovernment.Overrecentyearstheinterestinadoptingpublicprivatepartnerships(PPP)hasincreasedinternationally.Manyresearchstudieshavepresentedpositivereasonsforthegovernmentsandtheprivatesectortowelcomethisformofprocurement,ratherthancontinueadoptingthetraditionaloptions.ThispaperaimstoexploreandcomparethekeydriversforadoptingPPPinChinaandtheHongKongSpecialAdministrativeRegion(referredtoasHongKongfromhereonwards).Anempiricalquestionnairesurveywasconductedinbothoftheseadministrativesystemsandsurveyrespondentswereinvitedtoratetheirperceptionsontheimportanceoffifteendifferentdriversidentified.Eighty-sevencompletedsurveyquestionnaireswerereturnedforanalysis.ThefindingsindicatedthatrespondentsfromChinaratedeconomy-relateddrivershigher,whereasHongKongrespondentstendedtorateefficiency-relateddrivershigher.China’sdemandformorepublicinfrastructureandserviceshasimposedgreatpressureonthegovernment’sbudget,andthereforeeconomicdriverswereratedhigher.Ontheotherhand,withadequatefinancialreserveinhandandbudgetsurplusoverrecentyears,HongKonghastendedtopreferpayingforprojectsupfront,andhenceefficiencywasregardedmoresignificantly.Amongstthefifteendrivers,bothoftherespondentsfromChinaandHongKongselected,‘Provideanintegratedsolution(forpublicinfrastructure/services)’and‘Solvetheproblemofpublicsectorbudgetrestraint’tobewithinthetopthreedrivers.Despitethegeneralagreementontherankingpattern,theresultsofindependent2-samplet-testshowedthatChinaandHongKongsharedverydifferentviewsonthedriver‘Reducethetotalprojectcost’.ThisdriverwasrankedratherhighbythemainlandChineserespondents,butmuchlowerbytheHongKongrespondents.ThisfindingcanbeconstruedthateconomicdriversareingeneralratedhigherinChinaascomparedtothatinHongKong.
CEDatabasesubjectheadings:China,HongKong,Infrastructure,Partnerships,PrivateSector,Procurement.
