The Social Welfare Department (SWD), with the assistance of the Government Property Agency (GPA), commenced at the end of September 2020 a programme to purchase private premises for accommodating welfare facilities (purchase programme).
The SWD announced today (February 8) that owners of potentially suitable non-domestic premises available for sale in any of the 18 districts may submit their sale proposals to the GPA for consideration.
For the six districts covered in the previous two rounds of open invitations, i.e. Yau Tsim Mong District, Central and Western District, North District, Sham Shui Po District, Wan Chai District and Kwai Tsing District, owners may continue to submit sale proposals, but proposals already submitted need not be re-submitted.
Target premises for purchase include commercial premises/offices (excluding Grade A office buildings in central business districts) or premises of revitalised industrial buildings. Details on submission of sale proposals are on the GPA's website (www.gpa.gov.hk/english/premises/invitation.html).
"The Government will conduct assessment of potential premises in batches, with sale proposals received from open invitation and other sources by March 12, 2021, to be considered first. Nevertheless, no deadline is set for submitting sale proposals and further rounds of assessment will be conducted as necessary," the SWD's spokesman said.
In June 2020, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved funding to purchase private premises for the provision of about 160 welfare facilities in 18 districts, including child care centres, day care centres for the elderly, neighbourhood elderly centres, offices for on-site pre-school rehabilitation services, and more, as listed in the Annex, to help address the shortage of welfare premises. The purchase programme does not include the purchase of premises for use as residential care homes for the elderly.
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