The central government has failed to tell the public whether it has made or missed the June deadline to build a nationwide database of homeowner information.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, which initiated the project two years ago and managed to link around 40 cities a year ago, said the network would cover 500 cities by the end of last month.

The significance of such a network is that it can provide thorough information regarding the number of properties each person owns, thus helping policymakers grasp a sound picture of the market and helping to root out corruption.