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WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1987
HE SAID THAT INEVITABLY RESOURCES WERE LIMITED AND HONG KONG MUST WORK ON A SYSTEM OF PRIORITIES, GIVING HELP WHERE IT WAS MOST NEEDED.
"DESPITE THE CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS WHICH HAS BEEN MADE IN HOUSING IN HONG KONG WE STILL HAV: OUTSTANDING DEMAND FROM OUR PRESENT TARGET GROUPS, AND UNTIL THIS IS MET, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY EXPANDING," HE ADDED.
HE SAID THAT ONE SUGGESTION WHICH HAD BEEN MADE WAS THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD HELP BY OFFERING TAX RELIEF TO HOME BUYERS.
TAX
"THIS REPRESENTS INDEED A RADICAL DEPARTURE FROM OUR FRESENT POLICY AND SUGGESTS A SYSTEM WHICH HAS HAD WIDE ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS IN OTHER COUNTRIES. IT. THEREFORE, MERITS A VERY THOROUGH EXAMINATION IN A WIDER CONTEXT THAN THAT OF HOUSING BEFORF ANY FIRM VIEW CAN BE TAKEN.
"THERE HAVE BEEN SUGGESTIONS THAT WE SHOULD SPEED UP THE PROGRAMME BY INCREASING PRODUCTION.
"THIS IS OF COURSE AN IDEAL SOLUTION BUT HOW ARE WE TO ACHIEVE IT? THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, OF WHICH HOUSING IS ONLY A PART, IS FULLY STRETCHED.
"NO DOUBT WITH IMPROVED METHODS AND IMPROVED TRAINING THE CAPACITY OF THE INDUSTRY WILL INCREASE IN THE FUTURE. BUT THIS EXPANSION WILL TAKE TIME AND I THINK IT IS WISE TO BASE THE STRATEGY ON WHAT IS A VERY HIGH FIGURE, 70,000 TO 75,000 FLATS A YEAR. WE KNOW THIS TO BE ATTAINABLE AND I THINK WE ARE WISE TO COUNT ON THIS RATHER THAN ON SOME FUTURE INCREASE WHICH MAY NOT BE ACHIEVED, HE ADDED.
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IN DEALING WITH THE POINT PUBLICLY EXPRESSED THAT GOVERNMENT WAS REDUCING ITS COMMITMENT TO HOUSING, HE STRESSED THAT THE NEW STRATEGY, FAR FROM REDUCING THE COMMITMENT, INDEED EXTENDED IT.
IT PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY то CLEAR OUTSTANDING DEMAND FOR HOUSING, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY TO DO SO IN ACCORDANCE WITH PEOPLE'S PREFERENCES.
MOREOVER, THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF SOME 125,000 FAMILIES IN OLDER PUBLIC RENTAL ESTATES WOULD BE IMPROVED THROUGH REDEVELOPMENT.
**THE LONG TERM HOUSING STRATEGY CANNOT BE MORE THAN FRAMEWORK WITHIN WHICH DETAILED PROGRAMMES CAN BE PLANNED.
A
"IMPLEMENTATION MUST BE DYNAMIC AND THE SUBJECT OF CONSTANT REVIEW. IT WILL REQUIRE A SOPHISTICATED PLANNING SYSTEM, SENSITIVE TO CHANGING DEMAND AND ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY TO SUCH CHANGES.
"I AM SURE THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE GOVERNMENT CAN MEET THESE CHALLENGES AND THAT THE STRATEGY CAN PROVIDE A SOUND FOUNDATION ON WHICH TO PLAN OUR FUTURE HOUSING PROGRAMMES, HE ADDED.
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