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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, in the Legislative Council today (June 18):
Question:
In the 2008-2009 Budget, the Financial Secretary proposed to waive rates for the current financial year, subject to a ceiling of $5,000 per quarter for each rateable tenement. This measure is applicable to the properties under the Hong Kong Housing Society (¡§HKHS¡¨). In this connection, will the Government provide information on HKHS¡¦refund to tenants of its properties of the rates concerned, and list the information according to the table below?
Name Residential Commercial Car park
of tenants tenants tenanats
estate Number Whether Number Whether Number Whether
the the the
rates rates rates
will be will be will be
refunded refunded refunded
to them to them to them
(if so, (if so, (if so,
of the of the of the
total total total
amount amount amount
of of of
refund) refund) refund)
Reply:
Madam President,
The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) indicated that the rents of the residential units and parking spaces in its rental estates are rates inclusive, whereas the rents of non-residential properties (including commercial units, market stalls and properties for community use) are not. Tenants of non-residential properties pay rates to the HKHS separately.
Currently, the HKHS manages 20 rental estates, which have a total of 33,141 residential units, 618 non-residential properties and 3,615 parking spaces. With the Government¡¦s rates concession in 2008-09, around $5.3 million and $34,000 in rates are waived per month for the HKHS¡¦residential units and parking spaces respectively.
The HKHS indicated that, as in the past, it would deduct the amount of rates concession from the monthly rents of the residential units this year. The amount of rates rebate per month for the residential units of the HKHS by estate in 2008-09 are as follows:(please see the table attached)
Tenants of non-residential properties will only need to pay rents, but not rates, during the period of rates concession. The HKHS does not have to arrange rates rebate to those tenants.
As for parking spaces, having regard to the fact that the average rates per month for each parking space is only about $10, and relatively high administrative costs would be involved in arranging the rebate and that it would be technically difficult to apportion the amount of rebate for individual users as some carparks are let on both a monthly and hourly basis, the HKHS will not make arrangements for rates rebate in respect of parking spaces.
Ends/Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:51
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