The Government announced today (July 6) the establishment of the "Steering Committee on Land and Housing Supply” (Steering Committee) and "Task Force on Public Housing Projects" (Task Force) to co-ordinate work relating to land and housing.
           
     The two inter-departmental groups, chaired respectively by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, and the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, will comprehensively steer and monitor the various segments involved in land creation to housing construction.
           
     Mr Paul Chan said, "Upon assuming office, the new governing team has been pressing ahead with various tasks in full speed to enhance governance, strengthen the momentum of development and improve people's livelihood.  One important and pressing issue that we focus on is land and housing, which is a subject highly relevant to meeting public aspirations to improve their lives and promoting the development of a better and more diversified economy."
           
     Replacing the former "Steering Committee on Land Supply" which was also chaired by the Financial Secretary, the Steering Committee will have an expanded ambit of work.  The Steering Committee will steer and monitor, on a macro-level, the private and public housing supply, and the progress of delivering land for various uses ranging from housing, economic to Government, Institution or Community facilities; as well as consistently review the progress of land creation projects in their different stages, from studies to site formation, so as to ensure that the supply of land for various uses would practically materialise.  The Steering Committee will also formulate and release periodically a ten-year supply forecast for developable land, or "spade-ready sites", to facilitate public monitoring of Government's work.  At the same time, the Steering Committee will lead various efforts to streamline development-related procedures, and formulate proposals to unlock the development potential of private land, to expedite land and housing supply on all possible fronts.
           
     Mr Paul Chan said, "To further unleash the development potential of land in Hong Kong, we will fully implement the infrastructure-led and capacity-creating approaches of development, and co-ordinate on the construction of transport and other facilities so as to ensure the timely delivery of necessary infrastructure, thus improving the lives of residents while developing and releasing more developable land."
 
     The Task Force is responsible for overseeing the production of public housing, and its terms of reference include monitoring the timely handover of sites earmarked for construction of public housing projects; exploring measures to expedite their construction and intake; producing and continually updating forecast of new public housing supply; considering and resolving major cross-bureaux or inter-departmental issues affecting the timely completion of public housing projects, as well as considering and formulating measures to increase the supply of public housing.
           
     Mr Michael Wong said housing is the primary concern of Hong Kong people.  As clearly directed by the Chief Executive, the Task Force will submit specific proposals to the Chief Executive within the first 100 days of the new term of the Government, including putting forward proposals for expediting the construction of public housing, with a view to raising the production and speed of overall public housing supply, making Hong Kong a better place to live and work.
 
     The terms of reference and memberships of the Steering Committee and Task Force are set out at Appendix I and Appendix II respectively.

Ends/Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Issued at HKT 21:45

NNNN