Strategic Reorientation of the Housing Provident Fund System in the People's Republic of China

The objective of this report is to
respond to the request of the Ministry of Housing and
Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD), to assess the Housing
Provident Fund (HPF) system, and provide recommendations on
its positioning, strategy and future role in the overall
housing policy. The report focuses on a strategic review of
the HPF system and its strategy, mission, and operational
structure, and then analyses the market in which the
individual HPFs operate. It provides recommendations on the
realignment of the HPF system in view of the changed market
conditions. The recommendations encompass the overall policy
goal of the HPF system, including regulation and
supervision, modifications to the current products offered
by the HPFs, and improvements in the operational structure
(e.g. organizational set-up, technical capabilities of
management and staff, liquidity and risk management). The
report concludes by citing international experiences with
housing provident systems/credit linked savings systems in
order to highlight useful links with the Chinese HPF system.