On January 22, the National Development and Reform Commission held a themed press conference. Spokesperson Meng Wei attended and answered questions.

Guandian Real Estate New Media learned that Meng Wei mentioned at the conference that in 2018, 6.27 million new shantytown housing units were started, achieving 107.4% of the annual target.

In addition, Meng Wei pointed out that in 2018, 189 fixed asset investment projects were approved, covering key areas such as high technology, energy, transportation, and water conservancy. The task of relocating 2.8 million people from inhospitable areas for poverty alleviation was successfully completed. Of the 172 major water conservancy projects, 133 have been started, including 11 new ones in 2018. The year saw 4,683 kilometers of new operational mileage, including 4,100 kilometers of high-speed rail; and 6 new civil transport airports.

Guangzhou Huangpu New Rental Policy: Commercial Properties to Be Converted into Rental Housing per Regulations

On January 22, Huangpu District of Guangzhou issued the "Notice on the Work Plan for Accelerating the Cultivation and Development of the Housing Rental Market in Guangzhou Huangpu District and Guangzhou Development District." The document mainly proposes exploring the conversion of commercial properties into rental housing according to regulations.

According to the document, it mainly covers six aspects, including converting commercial land into rental housing and increasing rental supply, a series of policies favorable to rental housing.

First, explore converting commercial properties into rental housing according to regulations, with water, electricity, and gas prices charged at residential rates. However, the converted rental housing must not be sold.

Second, include rental housing land in the annual land supply plan, aiming that by the end of 2020, the floor area of newly transferred land usable for rental housing shall be no less than 10% of the annual transferred residential floor area.

Third, promote and implement the policy of "equal points and equal rights for renting and buying." Tenants who meet certain conditions or standards, along with their spouses or cohabiting children, can enjoy basic public service rights related to compulsory education, social security, and certificate processing.

Fourth, implement tax incentives. For individuals renting out housing, VAT shall be calculated at a reduced rate of 1.5% instead of the 5% levy rate.

Fifth, encourage real estate enterprises to develop housing rental business, piloting an integrated operation model of commercial housing development, sales, and rental management.

Sixth, develop modern rental services in "urban villages."

The new policy comprehensively enhances the convenience of rental housing in terms of cost and supply.

Shanghai Statistics Bureau: 2018 Real Estate GDP Up 4.8% to 199.3 Billion Yuan

On January 22, the Shanghai Statistics Bureau released the 2018 Shanghai national economic performance. In 2018, Shanghai's GDP was 3,267.987 billion yuan, up 6.6% year-on-year. Among them, the real estate value added was 199.252 billion yuan, up 4.8%.

Guandian Real Estate New Media learned that Shanghai's economic growth this year was generally stable, with the proportion of the tertiary industry increasing. Data shows that Shanghai's tertiary industry value added this year was 2,284.296 billion yuan, up 8.7%. In 2018, Shanghai's annual general public budget revenue was 710.815 billion yuan, up 7.0% over the previous year. The city's total annual commodity sales were 11,946.128 billion yuan, up 5.6% over the previous year. Retail sales of wholesale and retail trades were 1,156.883 billion yuan, up 8.2%.

From the perspective of major industries, Shanghai's annual industrial value added was 869.495 billion yuan, up 1.9% over the previous year; wholesale and retail trade value added was 458.149 billion yuan, up 3.3%; transportation, warehousing, and postal services value added was 153.336 billion yuan, up 10.4%; accommodation and catering value added was 42.146 billion yuan, down 2.8%; financial industry value added was 578.163 billion yuan, up 5.7%; real estate value added was 199.252 billion yuan, up 4.8%; social services value added was 849.073 billion yuan, up 14.8%.

In addition, the annual retail sales of non-store retail formats were 192.599 billion yuan, up 13.8% over the previous year, an increase of 4.4 percentage points over the previous year. Shanghai's annual consumer price index rose 1.6% over the previous year, with the increase down 0.1 percentage point year-on-year. Among them, housing rose 0.2%.

In terms of investment, Shanghai's total fixed asset investment for the year increased by 5.2% over the previous year. Among them, private investment grew by 8.6%, accounting for 38.7% of total fixed asset investment, up 1.2 percentage points year-on-year. From the perspective of major areas, real estate development investment grew by 4.6%.

According to Shanghai Customs statistics, the city's total goods import and export value for the year was 3,400.993 billion yuan, up 5.5% over the previous year. The number of foreign direct investment contract projects for the year was 5,597, up 41.7% over the previous year; the contract value of foreign direct investment was 46.937 billion USD, up 16.8%. The actual utilized foreign direct investment was 17.300 billion USD, up 1.7%.