PRESS DIGEST - Hong Kong - Nov 5

HONG KONG, Nov 5 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Hong Kong newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

-- The government will put 1,700 flats on the market over the next 1-½ years and thousands more in years to come in a bid to increase supply to deal with soaring property prices, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam told legislators.

-- The Sichuan provincial government has put 100 logistics services, trade and commerce and tourism investment projects worth 60 billion yuan ($8.79 billion) up for grabs in a move to speed up post-earthquake reconstruction, according to Sichuan vice-governor Huang Xiaoxiang in a trade symposium in Hong Kong.

HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL

-- The grey market price of Evergrande Real Estate Group (3333.HK) shares was seen at HK$4.40, up 25.7 percent from their issue price of HK$3.50. The offering portion earmarked for retail investors in the IPO was 44.7 times oversubscribed.

-- HSBC (0005.HK) has no plans to lay off any staff in Hong Kong, according to the chairman of its local arm Vincent Cheng. The assurance comes one day after the lender said it was axing 1,700 employees in Britain.

HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES

-- The international placement portion of the initial public offering of packaging firm CPMC Holdings is seen 20 times oversubscribed, while China Tontine Wines aims to raise HK$580 million ($74.84 million) in a flotation.

APPLE DAILY