Hong Kong’s finance chief says high-powered land supply, housing bodies to hold meetings this week
- Financial Secretary Paul Chan says government will respond to housing crisis ‘with determination and courage’
- Steering Committee on Land and Housing Supply and the Task Force on Public Housing Projects set to hold meetings this week, develop macro-level priorities
Two new top-level committees on land supply and public housing projects will hold their first meetings this week to focus on streamlining internal procedures, Hong Kong’s finance chief has said.
Appearing on a radio programme and writing on his official blog, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po on Sunday also responded to expectations laid down by Chinese President Xi Jinping for the new administration, which included resolving the city’s deep-seated housing woes through a “people-oriented” philosophy.
“The government shall face problems not only with determination and courage, but also wisdom and techniques to identify the crux. We can’t rush over with our heads down,” he said.
Ten days after taking office under the administration of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Chan revealed the Steering Committee on Land and Housing Supply and the Task Force on Public Housing Projects, chaired by the second-term finance minister and his deputy Michael Wong Wai-lun, respectively, would hold their first meetings this week to set priorities at a macro level.
The two high-powered bodies were among four new interdepartmental task forces announced by Lee last week. The other two will focus on tackling intergenerational poverty and coordinating district affairs.