雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】FLATS illegally partitioned into residential cubicles are notorious for their poor living conditions and constitute a potential danger to their tenants' safety as the fire exits are often blocked. In recent years, even industrial buildings have been found to contain illegally partitioned flats rented out for residential purposes.

英語

劏房居住環境惡劣，走火通道經常被封閉，住客陷身險境，近年還發現一些工廠大廈被用作經營劏房。

普通話

An investigative report published by Ming Pao has revealed that two flats located separately in two industrial buildings in Kwun Tong have been partitioned into 24 residential cubicles. To avoid public attention, the flats are passed off as "mini-warehouses". While a warehouse should house goods, these "mini-warehouses" are used for housing people. Isn't it ironical that as affluent a society as Hong Kong should have people living in "warehouses"?

英語

《明報》偵查報道，揭發有業主把觀塘兩個工廈單位非法改建為24個劏房，經營者為掩人耳目，以「迷你貨倉」做招牌。貨倉用以擺放物品，不過，此倉並不擺放物品，而是住人，人而住倉，對香港這個富裕社會是莫大諷刺。

普通話

According to Ming Pao's report and professionals in the field, the two illegally partitioned flats are in gross violation of building laws, and fall into the category of premises against which "priority enforcement action" should be taken. One of the flats has had its cantilevered canopy converted into a balcony attached to a cubicle. As has been pointed out by building professionals, such balconies cannot bear much weight and are very dangerous. In June last year, the cantilevered canopy of an industrial building in Tuen Mun collapsed and injured a man. This may serve to show how potentially dangerous the balcony is.

英語

據明報記者採訪和專業人士的意見，這兩個工廈劏房違例情况嚴重，屬於政策要「優先取締」的僭建物，其中一個單位，工廈的懸臂式簷篷改建為劏房露台。專業人士認為這類露台負重有限，十分危險。去年6月，屯門一幢工廈的懸臂式簷篷倒塌傷人，說明這個單位劏房露台的潛在危險。

普通話

Though it is against the law to operate residential cubicles in industrial buildings, there are people who do not scruple to do so because of the huge profits. For instance, the two flats in question, whose gross floor areas are 1,400 square feet and 4,200 square feet respectively, would earn a total of about $460,000 in rents annually if leased out at market value for industrial use. However, partitioned into residential cubicles, the two flats can earn a total of about $1.31 million a year. This explains why flats in industrial buildings have been partitioned into residential cubicles in total disregard of the law and the safety of the tenants. The situation is getting worse and worse.

英語

一些人不惜違例經營工廈劏房，皆因利潤甚高。以這兩個工廈劏房單位為例，建築面積一個1400方呎，一個4200方呎，若出租作工廠用途，以市值租金計算，每年租金總收入約46萬元；但是以劏房出租，每年總租金可暴升至約131萬元。利之所至，一些人違法改建工廈為劏房，罔顧住客生命安全，使問題惡化。

普通話

According to the Buildings Ordinance, the maximum penalty for offences of this kind is a $200,000 fine and one year's imprisonment only. And before taking any action, the authorities usually will serve a statutory order requiring the landlord to remove the unauthorised building works concerned. The landlord may even put off doing so for several years. Only in extreme cases will the government initiate prosecutions. All this evidently has little deterrent effect.

英語

但是按現行《建築物條例》規定，最高只可罰款20萬元及入獄一年。當局執法時，往往先發出清拆令，業主可以拖延數年，只有一些極端個案，政府才會檢控，阻嚇力甚弱。

普通話

The government must therefore take responsible action to deal with the problem of residential cubicles in industrial buildings before things get completely out of hand. The following measures may be taken together:

英語

因此，政府應該負起責任，多管齊下，遏止工廈劏房問題惡化下去：

普通話

(1) In addition to stepping up inspection work, the government may introduce an awards scheme whereby citizens are encouraged to report to the authorities the presence of residential cubicles in industrial buildings. Citizens can be quite sure that such cubicles are illegal since industrial buildings should not be used for residential purposes.

英語

（1）當局除了加派人手加強巡查，基於工廈與住宅不同，工廈劏房肯定犯法，政府可以研議設立獎勵制度，鼓勵市民舉報，以盡早消除隱患；

普通話

(2) The penalty for the illegal partitioning of flats should be greatly increased. Indeed, an expert has put forward the suggestion that the maximum fine should be increased to $3 million. When faced with the possibility of heavy fines upon conviction, people naturally will not go into the business of renting out illegally partitioned flats since it is no longer profitable.

英語

（2）違法劏房罰則要大幅度增加，有學者建議政府考慮最高罰款提高至300萬元，使經營者一旦被定罪，就面對巨額罰款，在無利可圖下，不宜人居的劏房自然沒有人經營；

普通話

(3) The government should simplify the necessary prosecution procedures. In particular, no statutory orders need to be served on those who own or operate residential cubicles in industrial buildings since it is already evident that they have violated the law.

英語

（3）政府應簡化檢控程序，特別是工廈劏房的業主或經營者已經明顯犯法，根本毋須對他們發出什麼清拆通知書。

普通話

It is an outrage and a disgrace to Hong Kong that tens of thousands of people are now living in illegal cubicles. We hope Leung Chun-ying's government will embark on a policy of eliminating such cubicles with the same vigour and ambition as the British colonial government did when it set out to eliminate squatter communities. Through long-term planning and an adequate provision of land and housing, illegal residential cubicles in Hong Kong will surely pass into history.

英語

數以萬計劏房人口，成為香港的夢魘和恥辱。我們期望梁振英政府仿效港英政府「消滅」寮屋的魄力，提出「零劏房」的政策目標，透過長遠規劃，理順土地和房屋供應，使劏房在香港成為歷史名詞。

普通話

明報社評 2012.04.19

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

William Tsang

Senior Lecturer, HKCC

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=112

周文駿

香港專上學院講師

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?cms=651&lang=big5

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