Title: Models of fair public ownership: lessons from Singapore and Hong Kong

Authors: Andrew Purves

Addresses: Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, Central House, 14 Upper Woburn St, London WC1H 0NN, UK

Abstract: The question of public as opposed to private ownership is often cast as ideological or one of economic efficiency. Here, the question will be asked as to whether there are particular assets which should remain in public ownership due to the nature in which their value is created. Viewed in this way, the same public assets can in turn be used to deliver public revenue in a way that does not deter their use - as the revenue arises from economic rent. Examples from Hong Kong and Singapore are used to illustrate their effectiveness in delivering social as well as economic benefits.

Keywords: public revenue; land rent; fair public ownership; land value tax; land lease sales; self financing infrastructure; Mass Transit Railway; MTR; Housing Development Board; HDB; Singapore; Hong Kong.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPP.2019.099060

International Journal of Public Policy, 2019 Vol.15 No.1/2, pp.59 - 75

Published online: 12 Apr 2019 *

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