FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1992
I
AND SECONDLY, ON PUBLIC HOUSING. I LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING MYSELF AND NOW THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO SELL THESE HOUSING UNITS TO THE RESIDENTS, EVEN THOUGH THE SCHEME IS NOT VERY WELCOME. WONDER WHY IS THERE THIS URGENCY, WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT WANT TO DO THIS NOW? IF THE GOVERNOR IS SO CONFIDENT THAT IN THE LONG RUN, ALL THE RESIDENTS OF PUBLIC HOUSING WOULD OWN THEIR OWN HOMES, IS IT THAT BEFORE 1997, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS DRAWING ON THE ASSETS OF SAR?
THE
GOVERNOR:
CAN I DEAL WITH THE SECOND QUESTION FIRST, BECAUSE THERE IS A LACK OF LOGIC IN THE QUESTION, WHICH IS SURPRISING BECAUSE YOU WERE SO ARTICULATE IN WHAT YOU SAID. AND I SUSPECT THAT ONE OF YOUR JOKES WASN'T TRANSLATED. WHEN YOU SELL A HOUSING AUTHORITY FLAT TO ITS TENANTS YOU'RE NOT REDUCING THE STOCK OF ACCOMMODATION IN HONG KONG, BECAUSE IF THE TENANTS HAVEN'T BOUGHT THE ACCOMMODATION THEY WOULD HAVE GONE ON LIVING THERE ANYWAY. WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS CHANGING THEM FROM BEING TENANTS TO OWNER-OCCUPIERS, AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY PAY IN AS OWNER-OCCUPIERS, ALMOST CERTAINLY A GOOD DEAL MORE THAN THEY WERE PAYING IN RENT AS TENANTS, GOES INTO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO PRODUCE MORE HOMES FOR MORE PEOPLE. BUT WHILE IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO GIVE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME HOME OWNERS, AND THE EXPERTS TELL US THAT ABOUT SIX OUT OF 10 FAMILIES IN HONG KONG MAY HAVE PUT THEMSELVES INTO THE HOME OWNERSHIP CATEGORY BY 1997, IT IS ALSO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE GO ON WITH A SUBSTANTIAL PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME, AND THAT, I'M DETERMINED THAT WE SHOULD DO.
GOVERNOR:
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THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION AND THE HOUSING SOCIETY WILL BE BUILDING ABOUT 107 WHEN I SAY ABOUT THAT'S THE AVERAGE FIGURE, 107 UNITS A DAY, EVERY DAY, FROM NOW UNTIL 1997. THAT'S ABOUT 40,000 UNITS A YEAR, THAT'S GETTING ON TO 200,000 UNITS OVER THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD. A LOT OF THOSE WILL BE FOR PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND SOME, OF COURSE, WILL BE FOR HOME OWNERSHIP.
AFTER AS
THE YOU
!
AND, AS FOR YOUR FIRST QUESTION THE ONE JOKE AS FOR YOUR FIRST QUESTION, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO, KNOW, THROUGH THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, IS TO REDUCE THE PRICE OF HOME OWNERSHIP FOR MANY PEOPLE AND THE MOST SENSIBLE THING TO REDUCE IT FROM IS THE MARKET PRICE. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE WHAT ELSE YOU COULD REDUCE IT FROM, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A BETTER YARDSTICK, LET ME KNOW.
QUESTIONER:
I DIDN'T SAY ANY INTRODUCTORY REMARKS SO MAY I SAY SOMETHING MORE NOW? BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTOOD MY QUESTION.
GOVERNOR:
ALRIGHT, BUT BE VERY BRIEF, VERY VERY BRIEF.
QUESTIONER:
FOR THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, IF THE GOVERNMENT TS COMMITTED TO SOLVE THE HOUSING PROBLEM OF THE PEOPLE, THEN THE WAY TO DO IT IS JUST TO SELL THE UNIT AT CONSTRUCTION COST. AND SECONDLY, ON PUBLIC HOUSING. THE PUBLIC HOUSING POLICY WAS LAID DOWN BY LORD MACLEHOSE MANY MANY YEARS AGO. THE GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER TRIED TO SELL ANY UNITS TO THE PEOPLE; SO, WHY AT THIS TIME, WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY SOCIAL PROBLEMS, THE GOVERNMENT INSISTS ON SELLING THESE UNITS TO THE RESIDENTS?
/QUESTION: