LAWYERS believe the Government has only itself to blame for the high level of claims related to airport core programme work, because of the tough conditions it imposed on contractors.
Iain Black, a partner in law firm Masons, said some of the problems could have been avoided.
'When the Hong Kong Construction Association was looking at the contract conditions, the Government was not interested in taking its comments on board,' he said.
Instead the Government was intent on using lump-sum, fixed-price contracts supported by onerous contract conditions, he said.
These had made contractors take virtually all the risk for bad weather and extra work caused by design changes, delays on associated contracts, or poor ground conditions.
A row between the Government and contractors, who threatened to boycott core programme work in 1991, forced the authorities to make concessions.