The Lands Department is finalising details to implement a set of standard rates for premium charges for land-use changes in business zoning.
Surveyors believe the move will provide more certainty and incentive to industrial landlords to convert industrial properties for commercial and non-polluting uses.
Sources said the assessment of proposed premium charges in business zones would be similar to the set of standard rates for premium charges imposed on balconies and other green features in residential projects.
The location of industrial buildings and the type of business involved in a conversion would be the main issues of the assessment. One source said the Government planned to list a detailed assessment on all non-industrial uses in business zoning ranging from office and retail to computer-related businesses such as data centres and education and institutional use.
But some surveyors said the Government should provide a broader base in its premium charge assessment to accelerate the conversion process of old industrial buildings.
Tony Tse Wai-chuen, chairman of the general practice division of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, said proposed standard rates would encourage more landlords to convert industrial land into commercial use.
'But many surveyors think the category of the premium charges assessment should be as broad as possible to accommodate the market demand,' Mr Tse said.