Madam Chairman, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to be here today to officiate the opening of the relocated Housing Authority Exhibition Centre.

Our public housing programme has made tremendous achievements in the last few decades. In the beginning, it was meant only to provide some basic accommodation for those unfortunate families who lost their homes in natural disasters. After years' development and improvement, public housing are now comfortable homes to more than half of Hong Kong's families.

Following the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, our foremost task is to provide "Better Housing for All". We have three main targets. First, to increase home ownership rate. Second, we hope to attain 70 per cent home ownership in ten years. Third, to reduce the average waiting time for public rental housing to three years. As the proverb says "if the people be without faith nothing stands" (The Confucian Analects). We have already drawn up specific plan and made detailed preparation. We have the confidence and the determination to achieve all our targets.

Of course, the development of public housing certainly needs the support of the Housing Authority. In fact, over the past years the Housing Authority has implemented numerous large scale housing projects to meet the demand of the public, especially the lower income families. The Housing Authority has recently announced the "Tenants Purchase Scheme" which will provide another option to these families to buy their own homes at reasonable and affordable prices. The initial response is enthusiastic. I believe the Scheme will enable us to achieve our target of raising the home ownership rate and will give the public a greater sense of contentment and belonging towards their homes.

Today, this distinctive looking Exhibition Centre gives a lively presentation of the changes and achievements of public housing programme in Hong Kong. Not only can the public and visitors to the HKSAR come here to look and review the history of public housing, they can also gain an overall understanding of future trend of development. The staff of the Housing Department must have devoted a lot of energy and time in the preparation work, making possible an early opening of the new Centre. I would like to take this opportunity to specially thank all the staff of the Department for their great efforts.

The HKSAR Government has a broad vision on the development of public housing. The Housing Authority would certainly cope with this development with its proven ability. Its remarkable achievement comes, certainly, not by chance. I am sure that the Government and the people will keep up their concerned effort to build a better Hong Kong.

Thank you.