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With the aim of streamlining the land development process, ten recommendations are put forward for the Government’s
consideration. This is indeed a summary of relevant recommendations from our previous reports, as well as those championed
by industry practitioners.

1 Empower a central team to provide one-stop facilitation on all planning and other land development applications

• First of all, the Government should empower a Central Team to assist planning and relevant land development applications.
The objective is to remove bureaucratic inefficiencies and fasten the whole development process, such that land resources
and housing can be delivered for the whole society in a timelier manner.

• The land development approval systems involve the TPB and several government departments including LandsD, Planning
Department (PlanD), and BD. It has been criticised by practitioners that their first point of contact at the Government,
usually the LandsD or PlanD depending on the nature of the sites, simply forward all the comments, queries and request
for revisions from other departments on the submitted building / development plans. The Central Team, formed by multi-
disciplinary government officials, should serve as a one-stop helpdesk to advise on development matters, including rezoning
application.
• The team should also be charged with the responsibility to ensure that the land development adheres to a prescribed
timeline. It should be held accountable for monitoring housing projects through all stages of rezoning, lease modification,
and land premium negotiation. With a clear mandate, projects with broader social or economic merits can be put forward
much quicker.
• It is encouraging to see that a similar Central Team had been put together for LSPS, although we believe its authority and
responsibility can be further strengthened as suggested above. It shows the Government also recognises the need for more
effective coordination to expedite housing projects. The Government should continue its efforts in minimising pain points
along its procedures.

2 Define clear review / approval scope for development / building plans across departments [1]

• As the approval process involves several departments, it is important to ensure that the review / approval scope of
different departments do not overlap. The technical definitions on different items to be approved should also be unified and
standardised.

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