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Land Registrar's Statement
Highlights of 2007/08
From the Past to Future
Organization Structure
Management Structure
Branch Functions
Services and Workload
Performance Pledges
Customer Services
Development Projects and New Services
Future Plan
Recent Development
Future Plan
Legal Services apart from Title Registration Work
Staffing
Management Initiatives
Training and Development
Staff Motivation and Recognition
Staff Relations
Corporate Citizenship
Safe Workplace
Knowledge Management
Future Plan
Financial Objectives
Actual Performance
Forecast
Profit and Loss Account
Balance Sheet
Statement of Changes in Equity
Cash Flow Statement
Notes to the Accounts
Annex I - Performance Pledges
Annex II - Land Registry Customer Liaison Group
Relocation of the IRIS Data Centre
Service Enhancement to the Integrated Registration Information System (IRIS)
IT Security
Future Plan
  Fifteenth Anniversary
  The Land Registry Trading Fund
  Vision, Mission, Values and Functions
  Organization and Management
  Operations and Customer Services
  Title Registration
  Human Resources
  IT Services
  Financial Management
  Report of the Director of Audit to the Legislative Council
  Certified Financial Statement
  Annex
   
 
 
Services and Workload
The major services provided by the Land Registry are:
  • Registration of land documents;
  • Search of land registers;
  • Supply of copies of land records;
  • Certification of copies of land records; and
  • Owners’ corporation services.

(A) Registration of Land Documents

In the financial year 1 April 2007 - 31 March 2008, a total of 799,033 land documents were lodged for registration, an increase of 35% compared with the previous year. On average, 3,196 documents were registered each working day.

Number of Land Documents Lodged for Registration


Year

Total number of
documents lodged

Increase (decrease)
compared with
previous year

Average number of
documents lodged
per working day

2005/06

664,628

2.4%

2,421

2006/07

591,968

(10.9%)

2,180

2007/08

799,033

35%

3,196

Number of Land Documents Lodged for Registration Per Month in 2007/08

2007/08

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

 

54,126

59,811

68,497

63,702

68,415

56,097

 

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Yearly Total

63,940

70,397

68,159

86,113

75,256

64,520

799,033


Distribution of Land Documents Lodged for Registration in 2007/08

Nature

Number

Agreements for Sale and Purchase of Building Units

160,587

Agreements for Sale and Purchase of Land

2,439

Assignments of Building Units

178,615

Assignments of Land

6,100

Building Mortgages/Building Legal Charges

68

Other Mortgages/Legal Charges

155,312

Others

295,912

Total

799,033


160,587 (20%) of the documents lodged for registration in 2007/08 were Sale and Purchase Agreements of building units. The number of these Agreements is generally regarded as a key indicator of the level of activity in the property market.

Number and Consideration of Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) of Building Units Lodged for Registration


Year

Total number of
SPAs lodged

Increase (decrease)
compared with
previous year

Average number
of SPAs lodged
per working day

Total consideration of SPAs
(in HK$ million)

2005/06

115,166

(3.3%)

420

358,353

2006/07

105,076

(8.8%)

387

344,756

2007/08

160,587

52.8%

642

603,559


Number and Consideration of Sale and Purchase Agreements of Building Units Lodged for Registration Per Month in 2007/08

2007/08

Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep  
Number 10,973 13,090 11,979 11,121 13,664 10,475  
Consideration
(in HK$ million)
43,557 44,911 39,363 38,009 44,196 33,238  
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Yearly Total
Number 13,227 18,105 15,592 16,984 14,384 10,993 160,587
Consideration
(in HK$ million)
50,678 81,393 64,449 67,774 51,974 44,017 603,559

Number and Consideration of Sale and Purchase Agreements (SPAs) of Residential Units Lodged for Registration


Year

Total number of
SPAs of residential units lodged

Increase (decrease)
compared with
previous year

Average number
of SPAs of residential units lodged
per working day

Total consideration of SPAs of residential units
(in HK$ million)

2005/06

96,244

(0.6%)

351

284,593

2006/07

88,076

(8.5%)

324

255,473

2007/08

137,164

55.7%

549

503,093


Number and Consideration of Sale and Purchase Agreements of Residential Units Lodged for Registration Per Month in 2007/08

2007/08


  Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep  
Number 9,530 11,110 9,653 9,188 11,480 8,753  
Consideration
(in HK$ million)
39,442 38,187 31,680 28,732 36,760 24,101  
  Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Yearly Total
Number 11,271 15,759 13,503 14,786 12,581 9,550 137,164
Consideration
(in HK$ million)
43,830 70,116 52,511 56,527 43,765 37,442 503,093


(B) Search of Land Registers

5,396,269 searches of land registers were made in 2007/08, a 22.8% increase compared with the previous year. On average, 20,033 searches were handled each working day. More than 89% of the searches were conducted through the IRIS Online Services.

Number of Searches of Land Registers


Year

Total number of
searches

Increase (decrease)
compared with
previous year

Average number
of searches
per working day

2005/06

4,504,151

9%

16,409

2006/07

4,392,580

(2.5%)

16,179

2007/08

5,396,269

22.8%

20,033


Distribution of Searches of Land Registers


Year

Online searches

Counter searches

Number

Per cent

Number

Per cent

2005/06

3,805,231

84.5

698,920

15.5

2006/07

3,811,922

86.8

580,658

13.2

2007/08

4,808,175

89.1

588,094

10.9



(C) Supply of Copies of Land Records

In 2007/08, the Land Registry provided 704,873 sets of imaged copies and photocopies of land records to customers, a 8.7% increase compared with the previous year.

Number of Sets of Imaged Copies and Photocopies of Land Records Supplied


Year

Total number of
sets of imaged copies and photocopies supplied

Increase (decrease)
compared with
previous year

Average number
of sets of imaged copies and photocopies supplied
per working day

2005/06

670,771

13%

2,444

2006/07

648,326

(3.3%)

2,388

2007/08

704,873

8.7%

2,693



(D) Certification of Copies of Land Records

In 2007/08, the Land Registry certified 169,972 copies of land records, a 24.6% increase when compared with the previous year.

Number of Copies of Land Records Certified

Year

Total number of
copies of land records certified

Increase (decrease)
compared with
previous year

Average number
of land records certified
per working day

2005/06

138,587

66.3%

505

2006/07

136,434

(1.6%)

503

2007/08

169,972

24.6%

680



(E) IRIS Online Services

Since February 2005, we have been providing search services over the internet (IRIS Online Services) for 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.

By the end of March 2008, the number of subscribers to the IRIS Online Services reached 679. Searches conducted online took up about 90% of the total search volume. Searches by ad hoc users by means of credit cards and PPS constituted about 17% of all online searches.

To promote the service, the IRIS Online Services were showcased at the ICT Expo 2008 held in April 2008.


(F) Staff Productivity


Over the year, the overall efficiency of registration and search processes has increased steadily. For registration service, the output per man-day increased from 35 in March 2007 to 43 as of March 2008. For counter search, the outputs per man-day for search of land registers and imaged copies have increased from 90 to 106 and from 77 to 90 respectively.


(G) New Territories Search Offices


Since the launch of IRIS Online Services in February 2005, many customers have switched to use internet services. The number of customers using counter services, particularly in the New Territories, has decreased substantially. This very low use has led us to review the cost-effectiveness of maintaining the New Territories offices. After review, the North and Sai Kung District Search Offices were closed on 16 April 2007.

At the beginning of 2008 we carried out another review of the utilisation of the remaining New Territories District Search Offices. Demand for services at the Tuen Mun District Search Office had remained at a low level and, despite the recent increase in property market activities, the number of customers using the office had been declining. The daily average number of customers had dropped to 21, compared with 32 in February 2005. Requests for owners’ corporation services had averaged less than two per day since April 2006. In light of this very low and declining demand for services, we decided to close the Tuen Mun District Search Office with effect from 5 May 2008.

Counter search services continue to be provided at our Central Search Office in Queensway Government Offices and the District Search Offices at Shatin, Tai Po, Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan. Customers can also conduct Internet searches at http://www.iris.gov.hk.

After closure, the owners’ corporation services previously provided at the Tuen Mun District Search Office were taken up by the Tsuen Wan District Search Office at 11th Floor, Tsuen Wan Multi-storey Carpark Building, 174-208 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan.

All customers and stakeholders, including owners’ corporations in Tuen Mun district, were informed of the new arrangements before closure of the search office.


(H) Owners’ Corporation Services

The Land Registry is responsible for registration of owners’ corporation and search of owners’ corporation records under the BMO. The Ordinance, which falls within the policy jurisdiction of the Home Affairs Bureau, aims to enable owners of multi-storey buildings to form owners’ corporations to deal with building management matters. During the year, 244 new owners' corporations have been formed, making up 2.9% of total number of owners' corporations (8,449).





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