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■港府「落重藥」大幅增加交易成本，壓抑需求，打擊炒風。香港文匯報記者歐陽文倩 攝
為使熾熱的樓市降溫，財政司司長曾俊華上月底公布新一輪管理樓市需求措施，包括提高額外印花稅額度並延長適用期至3年，以及推出不適用於香港永久居民的全新買家印花稅。樓市高度亢奮，再加上低息、熱錢影響，本港樓市泡沫風險日增，政府「落重藥」大幅增加交易成本，壓抑需求，打擊炒風，有利維持樓市健康發展。
市場形容此輪管理樓市措施是「落重藥」，對本地買家入市構成一定心理壓力，對外地買家及投資者產生的抑制作用更為明顯，相信短期內樓價有可能出現調整。解決樓市問題需供求雙管齊下，政府在加大印花稅壓制需求的同時，必須同步增加土地供應，制定長遠明確的供應計劃，才能穩定市民信心，抵銷樓價上升的預期。
應該注意的是，提高及延長額外印花稅，以及引入買家稅均是特殊時期的特殊政策，特別是針對外地投資者的買家稅，等同限制外來資金在本港合法投資，屬於「懲罰性稅項」，與本港一向強調的自由市場原則不吻合，難免影響本港作為國際金融、貿易中心的形象，削弱國際競爭力。因此，一旦樓價恢復正常，有關的稅項亦應及時取消。
偝trong dosage* needed to curb speculative activities and prevent property bubble
To cool down the overheated property market, the Financial Secretary Mr John Tsang announced a new round of measures to regulate supply and demand in the property market at the end of last month. The measures include raising the special stamp duty, extending the holding period of properties to 3 years, as well as an unprecedented buyer's stamp duty which will not be applicable to the permanent residents of Hong Kong. Under the circumstance of an overactive property market, a low interest rate and the influx of hot money, the risk of a property bubble in Hong Kong is looming. The strong dosage prescribed by the government to increase the cost of transaction, suppress demand, and curb speculative activities should help to maintain a healthy development of the market.
The market describes these measures to regulate the property market as a "strong dosage". While a certain degree of psychological pressure will be put on local prospective buyers, the inhibiting effect on foreign buyers and investors should be much more apparent. It is believed that property price adjustment will be seen in the short term. However, the government should solve the problem in the property market by tackling both the demand and supply. At the same time as it raises the stamp duty considerably to suppress demand, it must simultaneously increase the supply of land and formulate a clearly defined long term programme of land supply. By doing so, the government can then be able to secure public confidence and offset the anticipation of a rising trend in property price.
It should be noted that raising the special stamp duty, extending the holding period and introducing a buyer's stamp duty are special measures taken at special time. In particular, the introduction of a buyer's stamp duty which is targeted specifically at foreign investors actually amounts to a prohibition on lawful foreign investment in Hong Kong and it can be classified as "punitive duty". It contravenes the free market principle that Hong Kong has always emphasized. It will inevitably tarnish the image of Hong Kong as an international financial and trade centre, as well as weaken the competitiveness of Hong Kong in the international market. Therefore, as soon as the property price returns to a normal level, this special buyer's stamp duty should be withdrawn. ■Translation by Tung-ming tungming23@gmail.com
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