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Following is a question by Dr Hon David Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Professor K C Chan, in the Legislative Council today (January 9):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the current number of private domestic properties for which rates are chargeable and, among them, the number of those that have been let; and
(b) whether it knows the number of existing tenants of private domestic properties who have not benefited from the rates concession granted by the Government for the 2007-2008 financial year because they are not liable to pay rates under the tenancy agreements concerned?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) According to the information from the Rating and Valuation Department, there are some 1,613,000 private residential properties chargeable to Government rates, of which some 204,000 are declared as leased properties.
(b) Among the above-mentioned 204,000 leased properties, the rates of some 183,000 are declared to be paid by the landlords, while those of some 16,000 by the tenants. There is no such information about the remaining 5,000 properties. Landlords and tenants are free to negotiate such lease terms as by whom the rates should be paid, whether the rental is rates-inclusive and whether the landlord is required to pass on any rates concession to the tenant. The Administration does not know whether it is the landlord or the tenant of a property who benefits directly from rates concessions.
Ends/Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:35
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