加快收地成急務 補償安排須合度

<轉載自2018年5月14日 明報 社評>

政府改革清拆收地補償措施，受新發展區清拆影響的寮屋戶，賠償金額上限將倍增，當局還首度引入免經濟審查安排，方便受影響寮屋戶「上樓」。本港土地供應形勢嚴峻，配合新發展區規劃加快收地建屋，已是刻不容緩，政府為收地清拆工作「拆牆鬆綁」，本是符合整體社會利益的做法，然而寮屋始終是未經批准的非法建築，補償安排必須合度，否則就會變成慷納稅人之慨。當局要提防一法立一弊生，以免有人濫用新措施渾水摸魚。

新發展區收地難再拖 補償新方案大幅加碼

發展局的新方案，為所有涉及收地的新發展區和公屋項目，劃一特惠補償安置安排。根據現行做法，受清拆影響的寮屋戶，需要住滿兩年並通過經濟審查，才可入住公屋，然而在新方案之下，受影響寮屋戶若住滿7年，便可免經濟審查入住房協安置屋邨；如果不想入住房協單位，他們也可以選擇現金補償，每戶特惠津貼最高120萬元，是目前賠償上限一倍，至於申領資格亦大幅放寬，由必須住滿10年改為兩年。近年新界有很多已登記的「非住用寮屋」，諸如豬欄或貨倉等，改成劏房出租，當局還推出一次過的「特赦」措施，凡是目前居於「非住用寮屋」的住戶，只要自願登記，就可以「合法化」，日後若受收地清拆影響，亦可獲得補償安置。

今次政府出手相對闊綽，還讓非住用寮屋的住戶「合法化」，最大原因是要加快收地速度，應付土地供應短缺危機。目前政府已規劃的發展項目，預計提供3600公頃土地，然而根據當局估算，未來30年本港土地供應至少仍欠1200公頃。土地供應專責小組指出，一旦政府3個新發展區項目出現阻滯，進度未如理想，未來土地供應缺口恐將非常驚人。

過去政府對於新發展區收地補償，有各種「特事特辦」安排，不少人認定可以討價還價，不斷跟政府拉鋸，收地進展自然緩慢。現在政府決定劃一特惠補償安置安排，希望利用「銀彈」減少收地阻力，以免新發展區項目進度有任何差池，大方向並無不妥，然而當局必須密切留意，措施執行起來，會否衍生種種意料之外的不良副作用。

官員表示，未來15至20年的新發展區項目，約有8000寮屋戶受收地影響，採用新方案後，涉及的現金特惠津貼開支，估計將由3.1億元上升至5.5億元。為了強調新方案的成本效益，官員以粉嶺北及古洞北新發展區為例，表示受惠於免經濟審查安置的寮屋戶不會多於300戶，政府付出有限，惟換來的土地，卻有助於新發展區興建約7.1萬個公營房屋單位。政府推銷新方案，強調牽涉公帑不多、「本小利大」，可是有關估算會否太過樂觀，需要進一步探究。

補償叫價「步步高升」 政府須防渾水摸魚

寮屋屬非法建築，1982年政府推行寮屋政策，引入登記制度，寮屋「暫准存在」直至自然流失，不代表佔用者有合法業權，當社會需要土地發展，政府有權清拆相關寮屋。當然，政府有責任體恤黎民百姓，收回寮屋土地時應向受影響住戶提供協助。2009年政府為了收回菜園村土地，首次推出特惠補償方案。當年政府強調，有關做法只是特殊安排，然而事態發展下來，特例卻變成常態慣例。

今次政府統一收地補償方案，堪稱是歷次特惠方案的集大成，把最優厚的安排綜合起來。然而當人人都看到政府求地心切，誰也懂得提高叫價。今天看似相當優厚的條件，轉過頭來可能被指「吸引力不足」，結果收地工作依舊陷入膠着狀態。公眾最不想見到的，是政府慷納稅人之慨，到頭來卻得不到預期結果，反而鼓勵了一些人更加放膽獅子開大口。

另外，政府變相「特赦」非住用寮屋的住戶，是對寮屋登記政策一次重大改動，可能衍生不少問題，不排除有人渾水摸魚，試圖以「落釘」等伎倆，濫用有關安排。政府強調，在已登記的非住用寮屋居住，本身是不合法行為，若住戶參與自願登記，當局會採取容忍態度，惟不會影響地政總署針對寮屋的執管行動。雖然官員說得斬釘截鐵，可是政府根本沒有全港非住用寮屋住戶的數字，令人懷疑當局是否真能杜絕弄虛作假行為。過去地政總署屢因官僚散漫，遭審計署和申訴專員公署點名批評。地政總署往績不佳，亦必然影響市民對當局做好寮屋執管工作的信心。

現行收地補償安置政策沿用20年，部分安排不合時宜需要調整，政府為了加快收地步伐，亦有必要提供更多誘因，然而政府必須確保新的補償安排能夠達到預期政策效果，既對受影響寮屋戶公道，亦要對得住納稅人。

Cash incentives for squatters to speed up land acquisition

THE GOVERNMENT has proposed a reform of the compensation arrangements for building demolition and land acquisition, doubling the maximum amount of compensation for squatter residents affected by New Development Areas (NDA) projects. Non-means tested rehousing will also be offered for the first time to affected squatter households. In the face of severe land supply shortage in Hong Kong, it is an urgent task to speed up land acquisition in connection with NDA planning. The removal of obstacles to the acquisition of land and demolition of buildings is itself in agreement with the general interest of society. However, compensation arrangements should accord with the fact that squatter structures are themselves illegal. Otherwise, it will be tantamount to splashing out at the expense of taxpayers. As new rules tend to create new loopholes, the government should prevent such a situation from happening. Otherwise, some people will take advantage of the new measures.

Under the Development Bureau's new proposal, there will be a uniform ex gratia compensation and rehousing package applicable to all NDA land acquisition cases and public rental housing projects. Currently, affected households must have continuously lived in the squatter structures for at least two years and passed the means test in order to be rehoused in public rental housing. The new proposal will exempt affected households who have continuously lived in the squatters for seven years or more from income and asset tests. These households will be allocated a unit on rehousing estates built by the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS). If they do not want to be allocated an HKHS unit, they will also be able to choose cash compensation. The maximum amount of ex gratia payment for every household will be doubled to HK＄ 1.2 million. To be eligible for the compensation, the residents will have to live continuously in the structure for two years, a substantial reduction from the existing requirement of ten years. Besides, in recent years many licensed "non-domestic structures" in the New Territories such as pigsties or godowns have been converted into subdivided units for rent. Now a one-off "amnesty" measure will also be rolled out for households residing in such "non-domestic structures". As long as they have registered for a voluntary registration programme, their status will be "legalised" and they will become eligible for compensation and rehousing in future clearance exercises.

One can say the government is considerably generous in this latest offer. It has even gone so far as to "legalise" residence in non-domestic structures. The main purpose for all this is to speed up land acquisition in order to deal with the crisis of land shortage. At present, development projects planned by the government are expected to provide about 3600 hectares of land. But according to estimates by the authorities, Hong Kong is still short of at least 1200 hectares of land in the coming 30 years. The Land Supply Task Force has also pointed out that in case any of the three NDA projects runs into difficulty or encounters delays, the land shortfall could be horrendous.

In the past the government adopted a "case-by-case" approach in respect of compensation arrangements for the various land acquisition exercises of NDA projects. As a result, some people tended to hold out for more gains in the endless bargaining, slowing down the pace of land acquisition. The decision to adopt a single ex gratia compensation and rehousing arrangement was made to reduce resistance to land acquisition with money and prevent putting NDA projects in jeopardy. There is nothing wrong with the general approach. However, the authorities must pay close attention to whether unexpected bad side effects will come up in the actual implementation of the measures.

The current compensation and rehousing policy for land acquisition has been in place for two decades. It is true that some of the arrangements are outdated and need to be adjusted. In order to hasten the acquisition of land, it is also necessary to provide more incentives for affected households. However, the government must make sure that the new compensation arrangements can really produce the outcomes intended by the policy. While the policy must be just to affected squatter households, it must also not let taxpayers down.

加快收地成急務 補償安排須合度

政府改革清拆收地補償措施，受新發展區清拆影響的寮屋戶，賠償金額上限將倍增，當局還首度引入免經濟審查安排，方便受影響寮屋戶「上樓」。本港土地供應形勢嚴峻，配合新發展區規劃加快收地建屋，已是刻不容緩，政府為收地清拆工作「拆牆鬆綁」，本是符合整體社會利益的做法，然而寮屋始終是未經批准的非法建築，補償安排必須合度，否則就會變成慷納稅人之慨。當局要提防一法立一弊生，以免有人濫用新措施渾水摸魚。

發展局的新方案，為所有涉及收地的新發展區和公屋項目，劃一特惠補償安置安排。根據現行做法，受清拆影響的寮屋戶，需要住滿兩年並通過經濟審查，才可入住公屋，然而在新方案之下，受影響寮屋戶若住滿7年，便可免經濟審查入住房協安置屋邨；如果不想入住房協單位，他們也可以選擇現金補償，每戶特惠津貼最高120萬元，是目前賠償上限一倍，至於申領資格亦大幅放寬，由必須住滿10年改為兩年。近年新界有很多已登記的「非住用寮屋」，諸如豬欄或貨倉等，改成劏房出租，當局還推出一次過的「特赦」措施，凡是目前居於「非住用寮屋」的住戶，只要自願登記，就可以「合法化」，日後若受收地清拆影響，亦可獲得補償安置。

今次政府出手相對闊綽，還讓非住用寮屋的住戶「合法化」，最大原因是要加快收地速度，應付土地供應短缺危機。目前政府已規劃的發展項目，預計提供3600公頃土地，然而根據當局估算，未來30年本港土地供應至少仍欠1200公頃。土地供應專責小組指出，一旦政府3個新發展區項目出現阻滯，進度未如理想，未來土地供應缺口恐將非常驚人。

過去政府對於新發展區收地補償，有各種「特事特辦」安排，不少人認定可以討價還價，不斷跟政府拉鋸，收地進展自然緩慢。現在政府決定劃一特惠補償安置安排，希望利用「銀彈」減少收地阻力，以免新發展區項目進度有任何差池，大方向並無不妥，然而當局必須密切留意，措施執行起來，會否衍生種種意料之外的不良副作用。

現行收地補償安置政策沿用20年，部分安排不合時宜需要調整，政府為了加快收地步伐，亦有必要提供更多誘因，然而政府必須確保新的補償安排能夠達到預期政策效果，既對受影響寮屋戶公道，亦要對得住納稅人。