Development minister Bernadette Linn said on Sunday that the SAR government was encouraged by the Singaporean prime minister's visit to the Northern Metropolis during his whirlwind tour in Hong Kong.

Lawrence Wong was in town for three days, and Linn said for him to put the metropolis on his itinerary showed the interest of Singapore and its businesses in the project.

"I am confident that during our discussions, we were able to highlight what a unique place the Northern Metropolis is," the development chief said on a TVB programme.

"I believe the project will be an excellent opportunity for businesses to see it's where Hong Kong can enjoy the mainland's support and connect to the world."

Linn also said planned designated Northern Metropolis laws could speed up certain project developments by a year, but stressed that would depend on individual schemes.

She said officials wouldn't just approve proposals faster because developers want to build homes in the area.

She added that allowing more residential developments at the Northern Metropolis could help better attract investments, and for developers to have quicker returns.

But the minister stressed there have also been changes to the parameters for certain parts of the projects.

For example, Linn said land at a logistics hub has been re-zoned to allow the development of other industries so as to offer greater flexibility.


Edited by Edmond Fong