********************************************************
The following is issued on behalf of the Housing Authority:
The Housing Authority (HA) will pass on the rates concession for 2013-14, as set out in the Budget Speech of the Financial Secretary in February, to its domestic and non-domestic tenants starting from April.
"Following approval by the Subsidised Housing Committee of the HA, the apportioned amount of rates concession will be transferred to the domestic tenants on a monthly basis from April 2013 to March 2014 by offsetting an equivalent amount in the rent payable by them," a spokesman for the HA said today (March 28).
For tenancies that do not cover the whole month, the transfer of the rates concession will be made on a pro-rata basis.
"The Government Budget has revealed that there would be an upward adjustment of rates for about 10 per cent for public rental housing (PRH) flats in 2013-14. Since PRH rent consists of net rent plus rates and the rent levels will remain unchanged, the net rent that PRH tenants will pay out of their pockets will be less starting from April 2013, as compared with the net rent in March 2013," the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, due to the downward adjustment of the ceiling of rates concession from $2,500 per quarter in 2012-13 to $1,500 per quarter in 2013-14 for each rateable property, some 180 PRH households enjoying rates concession in excess of $1,500 per quarter in 2012-13 will pay marginally more, ranging from $3 to $34 per month, out of their pockets in 2013-14.
"The transfer arrangement will also apply to Interim Housing licensees paying licence fees," the spokesman said.
"Similarly, the Commercial Properties Committee of the HA approved that the rates concession will also be passed on to the non-domestic tenants/licensees on a 'no loss, no gain' principle. They are exempted from paying the monthly rates from April 2013 to March 2014 subject to the capping limit of $1,500 per quarter for each rateable property," the spokesman said.
For the HA's three single-operator markets in Kwai Chung, Lei Muk Shue and Tin Yan Estates, the operators have agreed to pass on the rates concession to their licensees in full.
"Given the small amount of rates concession to individual car park users and the significant administrative costs involved for its transfer to these users, the Commercial Properties Committee of the HA endorsed the exclusion of car parks from the exercise in line with all the previous rates concession exercises. The rates concession for car parks received by the HA would be invested in enhancing the HA's car park facilities, such as installation of electrical vehicle charging facilities in suitable sites, etc," the spokesman said.
The maximum total amount of rates concession to be passed on to domestic and non-domestic tenants/licensees by the HA is estimated to be about $1,800 million and $30 million respectively. They will be individually informed of the arrangements.
Ends/Thursday, March 28, 2013
Issued at HKT 15:00
NNNN
