XN000022-1979-07-18 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1979

ANOTHER UNOFFICIAL COUNCILLOR, DR. THE HON. HO KAM-FAI SPOKE ON HOUSING FOR MIDDLE-INCOME HONG KONG BELONGERS WITHIN THE CIVIL SERVICE AND QUASI-GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS.

HE SAID THE CONSIDERABLE SUM OF MONEY THE GOVERNMENT PAYS THEM EACH YEAR ON HOUSING ALLOWANCES SHOULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE BY HELPING THEM BUY THEIR OWN HOMES THROUGH A MORTGAGE SCHEME.

SUCH A SCHEME WILL IN THE LONG TERM BENEFIT THE GOVERNMENT WHICH WOULD HAVE ONLY A LIMITED FINANCIAL COMMITMENT UNTIL THE MORTGAGE IS PAID OFF, AND THE CIVIL SERVANTS WHO WOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR ACCOMMODATION WHEN THEY RETIRE.

IT WOULD BOOST THE MORALE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND ENCOURAGE MORE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE RIGHT CALIBRE TO JOIN IT, HE SAID.

HE URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT SUCH A SCHEME AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BEFORE FURTHER PRICE ESCALATIONS PREVENT THE SCHEME FROM BEING VIABLE.

+ INCONSISTENT TO HOUSE $10,000 A MONTH FAMILIES

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TO EXTEND ELIGIBILITY FOR HOME OWNERSHIP FLATS TO FAMILIES EARNING UP TO $10,000 PER MONTH WOULD MAKE NEARLY 98 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION ELIGIBLE FOR THEM.

THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. DONALD LIAO, SAID THIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN ANSWER TO SUGGESTION BY THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN THAT THE SCHEME BE EXTENDED TO COVER MIDDLE-INCOME HONG KONG BELONGERS EARNING UP TO THAT AMOUNT.

MR. LIAO SAID +THIS WOULD BE UNPRECEDENTED EVEN IN PLANNED ECONOMIES AND WOULD CERTAINLY BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN HONG KONG.

+MOREOVER, SUCH ACTION WOULD ONLY DILUTE THE EFFORTS TOWARDS ASSISTING LOWER-INCOME FAMILIES.+

MR. LIAO SAID THE INCOME LIMIT FOR HOME OWNERSHIP FLATS HAD RECENTLY BEEN REVISED TO $5,000 PER MONTH, PUTTING THEM WITHIN REACH OF NEARLY 90 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION,

ON THE SUBJECT OF MEDIUM AND LARGE FLATS FOR HIGHER-INCOME BELONGERS, HE SAID THAT A NUMBER OF SITES FOR SUCH PREMISES HAD BECOME AVAILABLE RECENTLY, AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TRYING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION BY TACKLING THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS LAND SUPPLY.+

AS REGARDS HOUSING LOANS FOR CIVIL SERVANTS, MR. LIAO SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE MATTER WAS RECEIVING ATTENTION.

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