SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1984
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RENT OPPOSITION BY MINORITY GROUP NOT SURPRISING
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IT HAS BEEN THE AUTHORITY'S POLICY TO USE THE SURPLUS FROM ITS COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, AFTER CROSS-SUBSIDISING THE DOMESTIC DEFICIT, ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME IN ORDER TO BENEFIT MORE NEEDY FAMILIES.
AND IT IS IMPROPER TO BREAK THE AUTHORITY'S NORMAL PRACTICE
TO COMBINE ITS DOMESTIC AND NON-DOMESTIC ACCOUNTS.
A MEMBER OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, DR DENNY HUANG, SAID THIS TODAY WHEN COMMENTING ON THE RECENT RENT INCREASE ON 38 POST-1973 PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
+THE INCREASE IS REASONABLE AS IT COULD BE JUDGED FROM THE FACT THAT THE NEW RENTS WILL STILL REPRESENT ONLY 22 TO 38 PER CENT OF THE ESTATES' MARKET VALUE,+ DR HUANG SAID.
CALCULATED ON THE PRESENT RENT LEVELS, DR HUANG SAID, THE AUTHORITY'S DOMESTIC ESTATE WORKING ACCOUNT WOULD INCUR A DEFICIT OF $176 MILLION THIS FINANCIAL YEAR AND THIS FIGURE WOULD GROW TO AS HIGH AS $383 MILLION FOUR YEARS LATER.
+ IT WILL BE ABSOLUTELY UNFAIR TO TAXPAYERS TO SHOULDER ALL THE DEFICITS FOR TENANTS IF PUBLIC HOUSING RENTS ARE NOT REASONABLY INCREASED TO COVER PART OF THE LOSS.+
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE REVISED RATES, EFFECTIVE FROM APRIL THIS YEAR, ACCOUNTED FOR THE SLIGHTLY HIGHER INCREASE IN THIS RENT REVISION.
ON THE OPPOSITION SET UP BY A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE, DR HUANG SAID IT WAS NOT SURPRISING AS NOBODY WOULD LIKE TO PAY MORE AND THE ANTI-INCREASE+ MOVEMENT AFFORDED A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR SOCIAL ACTIVISTS TO GAIN MASS SUPPORT.
HE ADVISED PEOPLE INTERESTED IN SOCIAL AFFAIRS TO PLAY A MORE POSITIVE ROLE AT A TIME WHEN MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WAS HINGED.
+THEY SHOULD NOW BE MORE ENTHUSIASTIC TO PROMOTE THE LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM RATHER THAN TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HUMAN WEAKNESS ON CERTAIN SUBJECTS TO CREATE DISPUTES, HE SAID.
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