Government Must Insist on Curbing Property Speculation
政府切要堅定堅決 勿讓樓市泡沫惡化
文章日期:2013年3月8日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】SINCE the government's upward revision of the special stamp duty and introduction of a new buyer stamp duty, transactions in the property market have plunged. Over the past weekend, only 16 units were sold in the primary market, down 80 percent from the previous weekend. And the secondary market saw only 10 deals in the 10 major housing estates on Saturday and Sunday, a record low in nine months. However, while transactions have plunged, home prices have not dipped appreciably.

英語

上月26日,政府加強額外印花稅和推出買家印花稅兩項措施之後,成交急速冷卻,剛過去的周末、周日,一手樓僅賣出16個單位,與前一周比較,大跌近八成;至於二手樓,十大屋苑兩天只有10宗成交,見9個月來新低。成交量雖跌,樓價下調則未見明顯。

普通話

To study property market trends, reference can be made to bank valuations of properties. Ming Pao has since the beginning of the year been tracking the bank valuations of twenty flats in the ten major housing estates, and quite recently HSBC's and BOCHK's valuations of some of the flats have dropped by 3 percent. But even if home prices have really fallen by that much, the fall is insignificant since, as Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah pointed out, the prices of small and medium-sized residential properties have increased by as much as 21 percent this year - and property prices have risen for a number of years. The two measures the government has recently introduced may prevent home prices from being further pushed up by speculation, but this is a far cry from the goal of making homes affordable to the general public.

英語

樓市趨勢,銀行估價有一定參考價值,本報由今年初追蹤十大屋苑共20個單位,近日,本報發現由匯豐及中銀估價的部分單位,錄得約3%估價跌幅。不過,即使樓價跌了3%,但是與財政司長曾俊華透露今年以來中小型單位價格升幅達21%比較,微不足道,更何况樓價已經升了多年。政府的兩招,只是使樓價不因炒賣而持續不合理上升,樓價與市民負擔水平相匹配的政策目標,仍然十畫未有一撇。

普通話

It is probable that, as stakeholders in the property market are taking a "wait-and-see" approach, the fall in property transactions has not been accompanied by a corresponding fall in prices. The market is waiting for the result of the tug-of-war between the government and the Real Estate Developers Association (REDA). Shortly after the government's market-cooling measures, REDA held a meeting attended by senior representatives from at least 12 developers. Such a "show of strength" meeting on the part of property developers has rarely been seen in recent years, and the meeting was in itself indicative of the effectiveness of the measures. With the property market rapidly cooling down, the developers are trying to come up with some countermeasures. It is generally believed that they will ask the government to exempt local companies from the buyer stamp duty.

英語

樓市量跌價未跌,相信與各方採取觀望態度,特別是發展商和炒家等待地產建設商會(下稱地建會)與政府角力的結果有關。政府出招後,地建會召開過一次會議,最少有12間發展商的高層人員出席,地建會這種「曬冷式」會議,近年較罕見,說明政府措施到位,樓市急速冷卻,發展商需商議對策。一般相信地建會最想爭取政府豁免公司買家印花稅。

普通話

Of the two cooling measures, the 15 percent buyer stamp duty imposed on home purchases by non-locals and companies is the more effective. Non-locals, especially mainlanders, have played an active part in the property market in recent years. For the healthy development of the property market, Hong Kong can do without their speculative activities, which have pushed up prices. If locally registered companies with Hong Kong permanent residents as shareholders and directors are exempted from the buyer stamp duty, non-locals will be able to evade payment by purchasing properties through companies established by Hong Kong permanent residents. The effectiveness of the buyer stamp duty will be nullified by the creation of this serious loophole. The government must therefore not give way to pressure from REDA.

英語

政府的兩項措施,以非港人和公司買家要繳付15%印花稅最具殺傷力,近年活躍樓市的境外(主要是內地)買家,少了他們支撐,少了火上加油的風險,對樓市健康發展是好事。如果豁免股東或董事均為香港永久居民的本地註冊公司,將會造成嚴重漏洞,因為非港人可以利用香港永久居民組成的公司購入物業,從而避稅,這樣的話,無異於買家印花稅破功。因此,政府要頂住壓力,不應言退。

普通話

In fact, the buyer stamp duty should be maintained as long as the housing supply is inadequate, so that priority may be given to Hong Kong people's demand for housing.

英語

其實,在房屋供應未達較充裕水平之前,政府應該保留買家印花稅,創造讓港人可以優先買樓的環境。

普通話

As the residential property market is cooling down, offices, shops, industrial buildings, and car parking slots are quickly going up in prices, which shows that the flow of money has changed direction. When the commercial property market heats up, there will be a general rise in the price of everything, and the public will suffer. The government must therefore monitor the non-residential property market closely and take preemptive measures to curb speculation, so that when the property bubble bursts the adverse effects on Hong Kong as a whole may be minimised.

英語

近日,住宅交投轉淡,但是寫字樓、商舖、工廈和車位價格升幅顯著,顯示資金轉向。若炒家熱炒商舖,價格飈升,推高物價,最終還是加重市民的負擔。因此,政府亦要密切注意非住宅樓宇市場動向,要防患未然地推出政策措施,遏制炒風,減輕樓市泡沫爆破對香港整體造成的損害。

普通話

明報社評 2012.11.07

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

Ms. Mimi Ng

Lecturer, HKCC

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=136

趙咏冰博士

香港專上學院講師

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=129

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