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The Commissioner will prepare a Government Rent Roll, containing the address or description of tenements subject to payment of the new Government rents, and the rateable value of such tenements. The rateable values in the Government Rent Roll will be reviewed and updated in the same manner, and at the same frequency, as the Valuation List under the Rating Ordinance. The Government Rent Roll will be available for public inspection. The Commissioner will also be responsible for collecting the new Government rents. As in the case of rates, late payment of the new Government rents will be subject to surcharge.
The Bill provides for an appeal mechanism. Where the entries of tenements are not identical in the Government Rent Roll and the Valuation List, proposals to alter the Government Rent Roll can be made under the Bill in July, August and September 1997 for the first Government Rent Roll, and in April and May each year for subsequent Government Rent Rolls. However, where the entries of tenements are identical, any proposal, objection or appeal against the rateable value shall be made under the Rating Ordinance only, and any consequential change to the rateable value will be made in both the Government Rent Roll and the Valuation List. A person who is aggrieved by the Commissioner's decision on his proposal, objection or appeal may appeal to the Lands Tribunal,
Similarly, an indigenous villager or a tso or tong aggrieved by the need to pay the new Government rents in respect of a rural holding may appeal to the Director of Lands. Where he is aggrieved by the decision of the Director, he may appeal to the Lands Tribunal.
Mr President, we would be grateful if Honourable Members would give priority to the scrutiny of the Bill with a view to enacting it as soon as possible. It is important that we have the legislative framework for the collection of the new Government rents in place well before the lessees concerned will need to pay them. Early enactment of the Bill will enable other related and very necessary actions to be taken before June 1997. These include bringing into force the regulations required, preparing the Government Rent Roll, arranging publicity on the assessment procedures and rent collection before the first batch of demand notes are issued, and fine-tuning the computer system for the billing and collection of the new Government rents. We envisage the above actions will need a few months to complete.
Thank you, Mr President.
End