ENG-2005 — Page 287

Land. Public Works and Utilities | 241

A Digital Map and Land Records Dissemination System is being developed. The system will provide government departments and the public with multi-format digital maps and land record data through an electronic ordering and delivery service on the Internet. It will greatly improve the efficiency of data ordering, conversion and delivery and will also facilitate the submission, manipulation, integration and dissemination of geospatial data generated under the Data Alignment Measures project initiated by the Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau.

Land Registration

Over 60 per cent of families in Hong Kong own property and at least half of all financial lending for use in Hong Kong is made against the security of registered property. The Land Registry provides a comprehensive service for registering documents affecting land and keeping land records for public inspection. The table below gives the registry's business volume in 2005.

Land Registry Business Volume in 2005

Registration Services

(Distribution of Land Documents Lodged for Registration)

Nature

Agreements for sale and purchase of building units.

Agreements for sale and purchase of land

Assignments of building units

Assignments of land

Building mortgages/building legal charges.

Other mortgages/legal charges

Others

Number

123 697

2 554

156 280

5 807

89

138 135

267 737

694 299

Total

Search Services

(Distribution of Searches of Land Registers and Records)

Online Searches*

Number

Per cent

4 350 352

81.9

Counter Searches

Number

Per cent

958 391

18.1

* The online searches conducted on or before February 8, 2005 were through Direct

Access Services.

From February 12, 2005, the online searches were conducted through Integrated Registration Information System (IRIS) Online Services.