A border site proposed as Hong Kong's answer to Silicon Valley will only get basic roads and drainage by 2020 - 23 years after the area was made available for development.
The timetable, highlighted by a senior official yesterday during a seminar on proposals to develop the Lok Ma Chau Loop area, drew immediate criticism.
Samson Tam Wai-ho, who represents the information technology sector in the Legislative Council, said: 'Ten years from now technology might have developed to a level beyond our imagination. I am not amused to hear that we have to wait until 2020 to have some basic things for a hi-tech hub.'
Wong Chung-kiu, of the Hong Kong Computer Society, also said the government should not miss the chance to develop the border site.
The Loop - a pocket of land on the border - covers 84 hectares. It was part of Shenzhen before 1997 but came under Hong Kong jurisdiction after flood prevention work saw the Shenzhen River straightened.
How the loop should be developed has been hotly debated. Previous proposals included developing a light-industry estate or a residential complex for the elderly.