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6 Set land and housing supply targets, with clearly defined responsibility for their delivery

• Reference could be made to the Steering Committee on Land Supply for Housing (HOUSCOM) set up in 1997/98, chaired
by the Financial Secretary. The HOUCOM was tasked to ensure and oversee the annual target level of housing production,
i.e. 85,000 private and public units.
• To achieve this, officials in relevant departments were responsible to deliver a designated housing production target,
and were subject to regular scrutiny by the HOUSCOM. In short, behind the average of 68,200 public and private units
completed during the five years from 1999 to 2003, was a system installed with clear mandate, accountability, well-defined
delivery targets and timetable, which seems to be absent in today’s Government.

7 Better utilise land zoned for Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) [4]

• Development on the CDA is often hindered by the difficulties in consolidating ownerships. The TPB should consider
establishing a time limit for applicants to assemble a certain share of ownership, based on the size of the CDA in question
and the distribution of ownership.
• After the lapse of the time limit, if the applicant is yet to consolidate the required share of ownership, the TPB should
consider breaking down the CDA sites into smaller zones, allowing development by phases, or even rezoning CDA sites that
have been idle for years.

8 Optimise the determination mechanism of land premiums [5]

• Disagreement between the developers and the Government over the assessed values of sites often results in the
prolongation of the lease modification process and the development of these sites. The LandsD should revisit some of the
key assumptions in its assessment to ensure that premiums match with actual increase in value.

• For instance, in assessing the ‘before’ value of a site, Ex-gratia Rates should be adopted and the value of existing buildings
should also be taken into account.
• When assessing the ‘after’ value, the LandsD should consider the cost involved in resuming the land and cost contingent
on development, such as demolition and reconstruction of a transport interchange.

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