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I never said I’d help halt soaring property prices: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam

Government cannot suppress the home price hike, says chief executive

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Hong Kong has remained the world’s priciest home market for the seventh year. Photo: Nora Tam
Jeffie LamandNaomi Ng

Hong Kong’s leader says she has never pledged to turn the tide on surging property prices in the city, which has remained the world’s priciest home market for the seventh year.

Instead, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor claimed what she hoped to reverse was the housing shortage. That was why her administration would try to constantly boost land supply in a bid to meet market demand, she added.

Lam’s latest remarks appeared to deviate subtly from her policy address, which stated that both “the current shortage in housing supply and surging property prices have resulted from both external and internal factors” and that her administration was determined to rectify the situation with the greatest effort.

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Lam, who took the helm as the city’s leader more than five months ago, was speaking to RTHK in an interview aired on Friday.

7 things you need to know from Carrie Lam’s policy address

Critics have slammed plans she introduced in her maiden policy address in October, saying they have failed to stop home prices from skyrocketing.

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