The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Friday asked non-profit social organizations to propose social enterprises to run seven historic buildings under a revitalization scheme.

Successful applicants would get government funding support, which includes a grant to cover the cost of major renovation, and another to meet the starting costs and operating deficits of the proposed social enterprise for the first two years.

The grant to meet starting costs and deficits could be up to 5 million HK dollars (0.64 million U.S. dollars) for each of the buildings under the pilot plan, said Janet Wong, deputy secretary for development of the Hong Kong SAR government.

Only modest nominal rent would be charged for the buildings, she said.

"We hope that eligible organizations will make use of the historic buildings to achieve the dual objectives of promoting social enterprise and putting historic buildings to good use," she told a press conference in Hong Kong Friday.

The scheme, named "revitalizing historic buildings through partnership", was first announced by Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang in a policy address in October. It was aimed at rejuvenating the historic buildings by putting the them to re-use, thereby saving maintenance and conservation cost, while taking care of conservation.

The Legislative Council had in early February approved 100 million HK dollars (about 12.82 million U.S. dollars) of government money to help fund the pilot project.

The first batch of historic buildings selected for the scheme were Lui Seng Chun, Lai Chi Kok Hospital, North Kowloon Magistracy, the old Tai Po Police Station, the old Tai O Police Station, Fong Yuen Study Hall and Mei Ho House.

Wong said the government would be open to applications from non-profit charity organizations under the scheme in three months starting Friday, adding that a secretariat will be set up to monitor scheme operation.

A committee comprising representatives from relevant government bureaus and departments and experts in the fields of heritage conservation and social enterprise operation will be set up to consider applications and related matters, she said.

Tom Ming, executive secretary of the antiquities and monuments office, said appropriate changes can be made to the historical buildings without changing their major characteristics under a conservation guideline issued to help applicants.

The government currently had no plan for further phase of the scheme and would assess the plan in accordance with the result of the first phase, Wong said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2008)