Cheung insists home scheme is 'interim measure'

Shelving it is 'irresponsible,' he said.

According to a government release,  Secretary for Transport & Housing Prof Anthony Cheung says the scheme to allow buyers with White Form status to purchase Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats with premium not yet paid under the Secondary Market Scheme is only an interim measure.

He made the statement in response to a non-binding motion, passed in the Legislative Council Panel on Housing today asking the Government to shelve the scheme.

He said it was an irresponsible act to shelve it before it was implemented and reviewed, adding it is an interim measure to address the home ownership needs of the eligible group.

Currently there are 250,000 HOS flats, 120,000 flats under Tenants Purchase Scheme, and 9,000 flats under the Hong Kong Housing Society's Flat-for-Sale Scheme, making a total of 379,000 flats with premium not yet paid tradable. These flats can be sold to public rental housing tenants and the 5,000 eligible buyers under the interim scheme.