XN000022-1985-11-21 — Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1985

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FLAT TRANSACTION AGREEMENTS SHOW INCREASE

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THE LAND OFFICE REGISTERED A TOTAL OF 28 924 SALE AND PURCHASE AGREEMENTS OF PRIVATE SECTOR UNITS IN THE URBAN AREA DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, OF WHICH ABOUT 95 PER CENT WERE IN RESPECT OF RESIDENTIAL FLATS, THE REGISTRAR GENERAL, MR NOEL GLEESON, SAID TODAY.

REPORTING THE DEPARTMENT'S FIGURES FOR PRIVATE SECTOR PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS IN THE URBAN AREA (HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND NEW KOWLOON) DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 1985-86 FINANCIAL YEAR, MR GLEESON SAID THIS REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 109.5 PER CENT AND 58.4 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY COMPARED WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES OF THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR.

THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CONSIDERATIONS IN THESE AGREEMENTS HAD INCREASED BY 112.8 PER CENT FROM $7.056 BILLION IN THE FIRST HALF AND BY 48.9 PER CENT FROM $10.085 BILLION IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85 TO $15.017 BILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, 39 467 ASSIGNMENTS OF FLATS WERE REGISTERED, COMPARED WITH 28 178 AND 26 539 RESPECTIVELY DURING THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85, SHOWING INCREASES OF 40.1 PER CENT AND 48.7 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CONSIDERATIONS IN ASSIGNMENTS OF FLATS ALSO INCREASED BY 32.8 PER CENT FROM $12.061 BILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85 AND BY 44.8 PER CENT FROM $11.056 BILLION IN THE SECOND HALF TO $16.011 BILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

A TOTAL OF 4 096 ASSIGNMENTS OF FLATS WERE COMPLETED BY THE REGISTRAR GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF THE HOUSING AUTHOR ITY UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, COMPARED WITH 4 248 AND 5 265 IN THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85 RESPECTIVELY, SHOWING CONTINUED GOOD PROGRESS IN THIS AREA.

THERE WERE 291 ASSIGNMENTS OF LOTS AND SECTIONS I.E. AS DISTINCT FROM ASSIGNMENTS OF BUILDINGS. THIS WAS 36 PER CENT AND 38.6 PER CENT MORE RESPECTIVELY THAN IN THE FIRST AND SECOND HALVES OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CONSIDERATIONS IN THESE ASSIGNMENTS INCREASED BY 241.1 PER CENT FROM $1.175 BILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85 AND BY 194.9 PER CENT FROM $2.650 BILLION IN THE SECOND HALF TO $4.010 BILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR.

THIRTY-SEVEN BUILDING MORTGAGES AND 34 411 OTHER MORTGAGES WERE REGISTERED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, UP FROM 17 AND 24 449 RESPECTIVELY IN THE FIRST HALF AND UP FROM 16 AND 20 960 RESPECTIVELY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85.

THE TOTAL