The Civic Party (公民黨) yesterday climbed on the bandwagon (note 1) of the Home Ownership Scheme (居者有其屋計劃), saying a resumption of construction can provide more than 11,400 flats by 2014.
The party also called on (note 2) Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen to scrap (取消) his rent- to-buy (先租後買) proposal announced in October. It further suggested the government adjust the existing land-use designations (土地用途) so that 5,000 HOS units can be built on sites earmarked for My Home Purchase Plan, and another 6,400 units on sites to be sold to the MTR Corp for development in Wong Chuk Hang, Ho Man Tin, and North Point.
The party's proposals come following recent calls for a HOS resumption, as home prices roared (飆升) past the 1997 peak levels.
Party leader Alan Leong Kah-kit said replacing the rent-to-buy scheme with a resumption of construction (重新建做) on HOS units would be a direct way to address (note 3) the urgent need to bring down (note 4) prices.
"I don't agree with officials who said [My Home Purchase Plan] is an `improved version' (改善版) of HOS. The plan may attract applicants who don't intend to buy homes, but eye (note 5) the rental subsidy (房屋租金津貼), shutting out true homeowners," Leong said. "The administration should scrap it at this stage, taking into account that it will take more time to finalize details for such an unprecedented (前所未有) plan."
The party is confident that a HOS resumption would not hurt the property market, saying Hong Kong has withstood (承受得起) tests such as during the 1990s, when the government put around 17,000 units on the market every year. The My Home Purchase Plan involves subsidies to the sandwich class (夾心階層) in the same way HOS did, but it allows those who can't afford a down payment (首期) to rent a flat before deciding whether to buy it later.
From good to better English:
(note 1) climb on the bandwagon= climb or hop or jump on the bandwagon (參與一項社會運動)
(note 2) call on=要求。Call a spade a spade=是什麼說什麼，直言。Call heaven to witness=天發誓。
(note 3) address=地址(名詞)。Address the need=滿足需求。address an audience=對聽眾演說。An inaugural address=就任致辭。Opening [closing] address=開[閉]幕辭
(note 4) bring down property prices=推低樓價。bring down an airplane=把飛機擊落。Bring along=帶來。Bring down the house=博得滿場喝采
(note 5) eye=眼睛。Eye (動詞)= 盯著看。An eye for an eye＝以眼還眼、報復。Catch Ivy’s eyes=引起Ivy注意
Victor’s View: I can’t agree more with the Civic Party that the government should resume building flats and sell them to the middle-class at lower-than-market prices. Young people in particular, with a permanent place to live, can focus more on their work. Higher productivity will contribute to Hong Kong’s prosperity.
(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 3 books on English-enhancement and plans to write 7 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)
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