Poor Tin Shui Wai has priciest food

Tin Shui Wai - one of the city's poorest areas - has the highest grocery store food prices, with pork and beef prices more than 50 per cent higher than in other districts, a Labour Party survey has found.

The citywide study also found that the average prices of many common foods have more than doubled since 2007. That far outpaced the 18 per cent growth in public housing residents' average income over that period.

Releasing the findings yesterday, Tam Chun-yin, the party's secretary and community officer, called for the government to build public market buildings to break up the monopoly interests controlling Tin Shui Wai's retail sector.

He also called for the introduction of a salaries tax credit to subsidise people earning below a certain amount and help them survive amid high inflation.

"We believe the exorbitant food prices in Tin Shui Wai are caused by a lack of market competition," Tam said. "The government should build public markets there as they do in other places."

In Tin Shui Wai, except for the two major supermarket chains, most grocery stores are located in the six markets managed by the listed group Link Reit, a real estate investment trust.