Mah Bow Tan
Singapore
“The previous generation of Singaporeans overcame huge odds together to create this improbable nation which we call home. Let this generation work as one to define our country for the next lap of our journey. Sir, on this note, I fully support the amended Motion. Page: 143”
“Like all upgrading programmes, there is a certain budget, and a certain pace at which we will build. We have completed the LUP and now we are going on towards the HIP. The Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) is ongoing.”
“For those who cannot afford home ownership, we will provide rental flats. For the rest where there is hardship involved, that is where the safety net comes in. I do not think we should make the safety net so wide as to bring in everybody.”
“Building a studio apartment is no different from building any other HDB flat. If a person applies now and the building works start now, he can get it in two-and-a-half years to three years. We have stepped up the building of studio apartments over the last couple of years.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health (a) how many people have signed an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) and how many have revoked them since; and (b) whether there is a need to review the current rules on AMDs which do not require a person who has revoked the AMD to inform the Registrar, thus causing uncertainty for hospitals t…”
“Parents who wish to exert more control over the maximum mobile service charges incurred by their children may consider service options such as mobile pre-paid cards. IDA is aware of the public's concerns on mobile subscriptions, and will continually review policies and look into measures to further protect the interest of consumers.”
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“It is currently reviewing its tree management programme in response to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions. This includes exploring new technology to better assess the condition of trees. SAFETY ON SINGAPORE FLYER 25. Dr Ong Seh Hong asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the regulated safety measures to protect riders on the Singapore Flyer against inclement weather; and (b) whether the relevant authority has comprehensively reviewed the design and safety aspects of the structure against all possible calamities especially after the previous incidents.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) regularly inspects its trees for signs of poor condition, disease, pests or structural defects. It also carries out regular tree pruning and replacement. Particular attention is paid to the larger mature trees, especially those in areas with high vehicular traffic. Mature trees along expressways and major roads are inspected once every 12 months and 18 months respectively. Given the recent adverse weather, NParks has intensified its tree inspection and pruning efforts. Since May this year, over and above a monthly inspection of 15,000 trees, NParks has inspected another 3,200 large mature trees in areas with high vehicular traffic. It has also carried out pruning and crown reduction to reduce the weight of the foliage and enhance the stability of these trees during rainstorms. NParks will continue with this intensified tree inspection and pruning regime. Tree inspection involves two major steps. Firstly, NParks' qualified arborists conduct a visual assessment of the crown, branches, trunk, surface roots and site condition. Secondly, sophisticated instruments are used to help detect internal cavity/decay in trees. NParks captures the information gathered at these inspections and uses it for monitoring of the tree conditions over time. Apart from stepping up tree inspection, NParks is also progressively replacing our roadside trees with hardy species as part of its ongoing Streetscape Greenery Master Plan. Even with these efforts, it is not possible to guard against all tree failures, as healthy trees can also be affected by gusty winds and heavy rainfall. NParks will continue to do its best to minimise risks of tree failures.”
“We will consider the proposal when the Government further reviews measures to encourage parenthood. In the meantime, fathers of young children can tap 12 days of child-related leave provided for in legislation – six days of paid childcare leave and six days of unpaid infant care leave. Some employers also provide paternity leave on a voluntary basis. In addition, fathers may utilise their annual leave or agree on alternative work arrangements with their employers, such as part-time work or no-pay leave, to enable them to look after their children. INSPECTION OF TREES 24. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development in view of the recent heavy rainfall (a) what is the Ministry doing to check on old trees to ensure that they are not a danger to the public; and (b) how are such checks conducted.”
“HDB will continue to monitor the resale flat market closely to see if additional measures are needed to maintain a healthy and stable property market. PAID MATERNITY LEAVE (Conversion to parental leave to benefit fathers) 21. Dr Lam Pin Min asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports if he will consider allowing the fourth month of paid maternity leave to be converted to parental leave, thereby allowing the flexibility for fathers to consume the leave entitlement. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: I agree that there is a need to enable and encourage both parents to share in the responsibility of looking after their children. Converting maternity leave to parental leave would allow either parent to take time off to care for their newborn. It also sends a message on the importance of shared parental responsibility. The more fundamental and difficult challenge is the question of gender equality. In our society, women have equal rights to education and employment. We have legislated equal access to childcare and infant care leave for both fathers and mothers. However, both partners in a marriage must work out the optimal arrangements and division of responsibilities for their own families. We all know that men need to do more at home, but we cannot legislate this. Consequently, before the Government considers legislating additional leave entitlements for working fathers, our social norms and behaviour must evolve. For example, fathers must be prepared to take on a larger role in child-caring, and these obligations must be recognized both at home and the workplace. We will also need to study the implications of such a change on employers, the employability of workers, and the needs of mothers.”
“HDB recently announced that it will offer up to 16,000 BTO flats this year to cater to the strong demand. This is almost double the 9,000 BTO flats offered last year. At the rate of 16,000 flats per year, HDB will offer more flats than the total number of flats in Bukit Panjang or Pasir Ris town in just two years. The substantial increase in new flat supply will cater to the needs of first-time home buyers and siphon off some of the housing demand that is driving up resale flat prices. To provide more housing choices for flat buyers, the supply of 16,000 BTO flats will be augmented by some 5,200 housing units under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) and Executive Condominium Housing Scheme (ECHS) that have already been tendered in 2010. HDB is prepared to launch more sites for DBSS and Executive Condominiums (ECs) if there is sustained demand. Eligible flat buyers, especially the first-timers, have a choice of buying flats either directly from HDB or from the resale market. The HDB resale market operates on free market principles where prices are negotiated on a willing-buyer, willing-seller basis. Thus buyers should carefully consider what they can afford, including the COV. I would like to reiterate that HDB flats are intended for long-term owner occupation. Some people may buy HDB flats in anticipation of future price increases, although they may not be in need of housing. This is one of the reasons contributing to the strong demand today. But flat prices may rise or fall in the short term. I advise buyers to be financially prudent and remember that HDB flats are meant for their long-term occupation. To reinforce this, HDB increased the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) in March 2010 for sale of non-subsidised flats in the open market to three years.”
“As financial needs can vary significantly across towns, depending on their plans and property profile, we are mindful that any additional indicator should provide information that is helpful for TCs' engagement with their residents. SINGAPORE-EUROPEAN UNION FREE TRADE AGREEMENT 4. Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether he will provide an update on the status of discussions on the Singapore-European Union Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and the Free Trade Agreement, including the service sectors to be liberalised; and (b) what issues remain unresolved.”
“The aims of the Town Council Management Report (TCMR) are to: (a) Provide residents with basic information about the key areas of estate management; and (b) Facilitate discussions between Town Councils (TCs) and residents about how they can jointly achieve the desired level of upkeep of their estates over time. To keep it simple, the first report did not attempt to be comprehensive at the first instance but focused on the "bread and butter" functions that are applicable to all TCs. It covers six indicators under the four areas of estate cleanliness, estate maintenance, lift performance and management of arrears in service & conservancy charges (S&CC). Besides their relevance to TCs, the six indicators were chosen because they can be readily measured objectively. The data for four indicators come from TCs themselves while data for two indicators are obtained from HDB's estate inspections, which TCs are invited to attend. It is possible that some residents' views of their towns may be different from that as assessed under the TCMR. This is understandable as residents' personal experiences may not always be congruent with the TCMR scores, which are averages of sample blocks. In addition, since only a proportion of the blocks can be inspected for each report, the TCMR results would have to be monitored over time to fully gauge a town's performance. Over time, we will review and enhance the TCMR to inform residents about more aspects of their towns. Other possible indicators include the management of potential killer litter and adequacy of sinking funds.”
“Differential Premium (DP) or Development Charge (DC) is levied when there is intensification in land use beyond the approved baseline use and intensity for the site. It is fundamentally a tax on the gains of the developers due to land value enhancement from more intensive use of the land. If there is no land value enhancement, the developers are not taxed. Currently, DP or DC rate is pegged at 70% of the enhancement in land value. The DP or DC collected allows the State to provide the necessary infrastructure and services (eg, roads, drainage and sewerage) without which the developer cannot materialise the higher development intensity in the area. The balance of the gain from the land value enhancement is retained by the land-owner and provides an incentive for him to undertake the development work. In calibrating the DC rate, there is a need to balance between providing an equitable share of the land value enhancement for the State to fund the necessary infrastructure and services and, at the same time, providing a reasonable incentive for land-owners and developers to undertake development works. We believe that the current 70% DC rate is reasonable in the current market conditions. The key to moderating costs to the industry is to enhance construction productivity, and not by reducing the DC and shifting the costs of infrastructure and services to support land intensification somewhere else. ADDITIONAL AREAS FOR ASSESSMENT IN TOWN COUNCIL REPORT 3. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for National Development whether the recent Town Council Management Report is exhaustive and should the areas of assessment include more areas of concern besides arrears, sinking funds and cleanliness.”
“HDB has also been proactive in promoting a barrier-free environment in HDB estates, through various programmes such as the HDB Barrier-Free Accessibility Programme, Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, Lift Upgrading Programme and Home Improvement Programme. Under these programmes, the outdoor and indoor living environments have been incorporated with user-friendly and accessibility features. Examples include barrier-free walkways that connect each block to nearby amenities, and grab bars installed at bathrooms and common corridors. These features enable residents of all age groups and abilities to move around independently. Private sector building owners can tap on BCA's $40 million Accessibility Fund launched in 2007 to upgrade their buildings. A total of 60 building projects have successfully applied for this fund to be upgraded with accessibility features. This fund supports BCA's plan to make key areas in Singapore such as Orchard Road and Shenton Way achieve barrier-free accessibility by 2011. [4] An accessible toilet is one which a wheelchair user can access. TRACKING PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH 46. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what measures and methods are in place to track productivity growth in firms and across industry sectors in Singapore and how will these processes and approaches be cascaded to the human resource departments to enable them to better track the productivity of employees; and (b) what is being done to ensure the cooperation of agencies and Ministries in their data crunching and approaches to the treatment of productivity measurement and tracking.”
“MND agencies have implemented various barrier-free accessibility features in key areas to meet the needs of our ageing population and to allow for an inclusive society. Since 1990, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has required all new buildings and existing buildings undergoing major additions and alterations to comply with the Code on barrier-free accessibility in buildings. This Code specifies the minimum standards on barrier-free provision in buildings. It was expanded in 2007 to cover accessibility requirements outside buildings, including public walkways and parks, and to improve the interconnectivity between buildings and amenities such as MRT stations, bus-stops and taxi-stands. BCA also promotes and facilitates the upgrading of public sector buildings for barrier-free accessibility. While the responsibility of implementing barrier-free features remains with the respective Government agencies that own or manage the facilities, BCA co-chairs an inter-agency co-ordination committee with HDB to resolve inter-connectivity issues that cut across agencies. To date, 98% of public sector infrastructure which are highly frequented by the general public, such as hospitals, polyclinics, markets and hawker centres, have achieved at least the basic level of barrier-free accessibility. These include ramps to the entrance of the facility, accessible toilets[4] on the ground floor, and wheelchair accessible lifts. BCA will continue to work with building owners and other government agencies to improve the accessibility of our built environment.”
“It is currently reviewing its tree management programme in response to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions, and is exploring new technology to better assess the condition of trees. BARRIER-FREE TRANSPORT POLICY FOR ELDERLY AND DISABLED 45. Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Minister for National Development in light of the barrier-free policy for the elderly and people with disabilities, what action has his Ministry taken over the recent years to encourage the implementation of accessibility features in target areas, including walkways and older buildings, whether public or otherwise.”
“National Parks Board (NParks) regularly inspects its trees for signs of poor health, disease, pests or structural defects. Technology is also used to help detect internal cavities or decay in trees. NParks monitors the condition of each tree over time, and takes preventive action where necessary to minimise risks of tree failure. Wind forces and sodden soil due to heavy rain, as we have experienced in June this year, can weaken the stability of all trees, even the healthy trees, and cause them to be uprooted. Such forces of nature are beyond NParks' control. As part of its Streetscape Greenery Master Plan, NParks progressively replaces our roadside trees with hardy species where needed. These are species that are able to grow well in our urban environment, and develop resilience against adverse weather conditions. NParks also identifies storm-vulnerable species that grow in the wild and removes them where necessary. In addition, NParks carries out regular tree pruning to remove weak or overgrown branches. It has also implemented an improved technique of crown reduction pruning which reduces the weight of foliage in the tree crown and achieves a more optimal crown to root ratio to enhance the stability of trees against rainstorms. Over the years, NParks' tree management programme has effectively reduced the number of tree failures by close to 70%, from about 3,100 cases in year 2000 to about 1,000 in 2009. The number of tree failures in June this year is about 240, which is about 170% higher compared to the same month (about 90) last year, due largely to the adverse weather. Trees are living organisms, and even healthy trees may fall in adverse weather. NParks is committed to minimising the risks of tree failure.”
“For the most recent BTO projects where booking exercises have been completed (ie, Montreal Dale and Segar Grove launched in December 2009), there were 22 cases whereby first-timer applicants were not invited to select a flat in a non-mature estate after at least four attempts. HDB will offer them help if they have immediate housing need. To meet the demand for new flats, HDB has launched close to 9,000 BTO flats in the first half of 2010, and is prepared to launch an additional 7,200 BTO flats by the end of the year. This year's total BTO flat supply of 16,000 units is almost twice of last year's. The BTO supply will be supplemented by flats under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS), as well as Executive Condominiums (EC) for the higher income buyers. I would like to reassure Members that HDB is fully committed to ensuring that those who are genuinely looking for a home will be able to do so. [1] BTO projects in January to April 2010 [2] Launched in December 2009. COMPULSORY EXTRA LESSONS DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 28. Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Education (a) how many schools conduct compulsory extra lessons for their students during the March or June school holidays; (b) how many students are involved for each school that conducts compulsory extra lessons; and (c) what is the rationale for having compulsory extra lessons during school holidays.”
“The drop-out rates on the first day where applicants had most of the flats to choose from were 38% and 14% respectively. The application rate of Boon Lay Grove is higher than most BTO projects launched in the first half of 2010, reflecting the higher demand for new flats in estates that are relatively more developed. HDB recognises the desire for young couples to live near their parents, and has launched many BTO projects outside Punggol and Sengkang in the last year, covering a good spread of towns/estates such as Jurong West, Dawson, Hougang, Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Yishun, Sembawang and Woodlands. However, it is not possible for HDB to meet the demand fully with new flats as there is limited land in these estates. HDB would also like to build up the critical mass in new estates in Punggol and Sengkang so that new amenities and facilities can be supported by the resident population as quickly as possible. The Government is committed to helping Singaporeans own their first homes. Therefore, 95% of new flats are set aside for first-timers. For BTO projects, first-timer applicants receive two chances in the ballot as compared to one chance for second-timers, and four chances if they are applying to live near or with their parents. To help first-timers who are unsuccessful after two or more tries, additional chances are given to them from their third try onwards for a BTO flat in non-mature estates. As a result, majority of first-timer applicants were invited to select a BTO flat in non-mature estate within two tries, for projects launched between January and December 2009. Very few first-timers have been unsuccessful after four applications for a BTO flat in non-mature estates.”
“HDB launched Boon Lay Grove in May 2010, offering a total of 450 flats. We received a total of 4,026 applications for this project. Applicants have been informed of their queue position earlier this month, and booking will start in August 2010. About 3,200 or 80% of the applicants are first-timer households, ie, they have never bought a flat with housing subsidies. This is the priority group that the BTO sale exercises seek to cater for. Among these first-timer households, 53% have not applied for any BTO projects in non-mature estates prior to Boon Lay Grove. Twenty-six percent are second-time BTO applicants, 12% are third-time applicants and the rest (9%) are fourth-or-more time applicants. Among those with previous BTO applications, more than two-thirds (or about 1,100 applicants) have outstanding BTO applications for which the selection exercises have yet to commence[1]. If they are successful in booking a flat in another project, they will have to give up their chances in Boon Lay Grove. About 43% of first-timer households applied under the Fiancé-Fiancée Scheme, ie, they are not married yet. 67% of the first-timer households are aged between 25 and 34 years old. 66% of the households earn $5,000 or less. The application rate does not necessarily represent real demand for housing as it is common for applicants to participate in multiple BTO applications at any one time. A better indicator of demand is whether applicants book or reject a flat when invited to do so. For the two most recent BTO projects where booking exercises have been completed, Montreal Dale (Sembawang) and Segar Grove (Bukit Panjang)[2], the drop-out rates for first-timers were 46% and 33% respectively.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I beg to move, That Parliament do now adjourn. Question proposed. LOOKING BEYOND GDP AS MEASUREMENT OF COUNTRY'S WELL-BEING 6.46 pm”
“Most people buy their flat soon after they sold their previous ones. So those cases that the Member mentioned are actually very rare but they do happen. Perhaps, what I can offer the Member is to look at those cases specifically. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT TO A DATE TO BE FIXED Resolved, That, at its rising today, Parliament do stand adjourned to a date to be fixed. – [Mr Mah Bow Tan]. ADJOURNMENT MOTION”
“Yes, there is. That is the reason I am doing it.”
“Their KPIs are dependent on many of the things Members are talking about, ie how they can build a more vibrant community, how they can continue to provide more affordable housing and how they can continue to facilitate gracious living in HDB estates. Those are their KPIs, not this. But this is just an aside to allow them to do other things as well. Another assurance – if Members feel that HDB is over-stepping its boundaries in any area, they can let me know. Er Lee Bee Wah: Is there a need to amend the Bill to use HDB as a test-bed?”
“In fact, there is a lot of value in HDB which I believe can be adopted by our local industries. Some SMEs may see HDB as a threat. What HDB is seeking to do is to work with the SMEs to try to develop new processes or systems. I did not want to go into the details but here is one example. HDB is working with some local partners, SMEs in fact, to transfer and share technical knowledge with them, in the hope that they will then pass this experience to the other SMEs. The SMEs can then use this for their overseas projects, ie, gain track record in Singapore for their overseas projects. Specifically, there is a project called a pre-fabricated extensive green roof tray system (PEG). I do not know whether Members have seen it. These are the trays which we use for green roofs. It is a process that has been developed by HDB and NParks. They partnered a private company to jointly develop a modular tray that can be used to spread the green roof. So this is an example of the things that can be done. There are many other examples. The PEG system was awarded the silver award in the Enterprise Challenge. And now, having created a solution with HDB and NParks, this SME is going to export the PEG technology to other urban environments facing similar problems as Singapore. This is just one specific example of how we are trying to use HDB as a test-bed to help small companies and do more with them, create value for them and to export the value overseas. I wish to assure Members that HDB's mandate is not to go out there and to become a company or to compete with local companies. The idea is to allow the management to do these things. There is really no reason for HDB officers to go into this. Their KPIs do not include how much money they make for these SMEs.”
“It is not a matter of applying it retrospectively. We are simply saying that the 50% limit applies to all the proceeds of the sale that you have made prior to this. We have not applied the 50% rule retrospectively as such. But the definition of proceeds includes all the sales that you have made prior to this. This, again, is a way for us to enforce this concept of financial prudence. Do not forget that the grant of the second loan is to enable you to purchase something which you really need. If you have already made a lot of money from the sale of the current flat, then I think it is only fair that the HDB takes that into account irrespective of when you have sold the flat. Er Lee Bee Wah: I would like to thank the Minister for clarifying our concerns. But according to the amendment, it is to enable HDB to provide technical and consultancy services both locally as well as internationally. If it is, as per what he mentioned just now, services or advice on policy matters, on how to lend money and so on, I wonder who will be our local clients. The next question is, what is there to stop HDB management from providing consultancy services beyond policies? I mean, we are very clear of the role of HDB but what is there to stop the management team from deviating from the original role of HDB.”
“And if you have enough CPF and enough cash to buy your next flat, strictly speaking, HDB should not grant you a loan. We have decided that we are not going to be so unreasonable but to be slightly more generous. We will allow you to keep 50% and use the other 50% of your proceeds plus your CPF towards the purchase of your next flat. When we compute the loan, we will take that into account. That is the rationale for that 50% withdrawal.”
“Sir, that has nothing to do with this Bill. But since the Member has asked, I will explain what I said in March this year when I introduced the new policy. At that time, if the Member recalls, the second concessionary loan was only automatically applied to those who upgrade to bigger flats. It did not apply to those who downgraded or those who moved laterally. At the time, I emphasised that the purpose of this change was to reinforce the principle of financial prudence. What we saw was that people were upgrading to get a loan even though they could not afford a bigger flat. So you had people moving from a four-room to a five-room flat and when you ask them why, they would say, "Because the housing agent told me that this is the only way to get another loan from HDB." That was obviously a perverse incentive but what was the underlying premise behind it? The underlying premise was to be able to get a second concessionary loan from HDB. I have asked HDB, through this policy, to make sure that the next loan, ie, the second loan, is granted for a genuine purpose. That genuine purpose could be upgrading as your family grows larger and you can afford to do so, or it could be downgrading because you do not need a big flat. So a downgrader will also get the second concessionary loan. But the size of the second loan cannot be independent of the proceeds that he has got from selling the existing flat. It cannot be so because otherwise, this will become another perverse incentive where people will be upgrading and downgrading in order to automatically get another HDB loan. That is the reason why we have instituted this 50% rule. The 50% rule says that you must make use of the proceeds from the sale of your current flat, your CPF as well as your cash.”
“I believe this is a general catch-all clause which we insert into the Bill that, from time to time, we may need. I am not able to tell you at this point in time who these people are but it does give us the flexibility, sometime in the future, to make these exemptions. So it is a catch-all clause to give the Minister flexibility. I just want to conclude by saying that the main purpose of this Bill is to emphasise that an HDB flat is a long-term asset, as well as a shelter. Flat owners should not willingly or too freely use it to cash out, to take loans to finance other things, even for very deserving uses. The HDB flat is not the cash cow that allows you to cash out and spend the money. The legislative changes that I have introduced today serve to emphasise this point.”
“As for the local industry, yes, definitely, HDB plans to work with local companies, especially SMEs, on specific technical and consultancy services. It could be in environmental services, it could be in green buildings, it could be in solar panels, it could be in lifts, and so on. There are still specific areas that HDB may be required, from time to time, to share its expertise with others. This provision is to enable HDB to do so. Just to reiterate that it is not going to be a big money-spinner to make money for HDB. It is rather to generate a reservoir of goodwill on behalf of the Government with other governments or other institutions and, of course, also to keep our HDB officers involved with such efforts. I thought I should reiterate that point. I heard what the Members have said, there are still a lot of things that HDB needs to do and, indeed, is doing. The role and functions of HDB continue to evolve over time and the nature of its work is going to change. It will move more and more away from hardware provisions, ie, the infrastructure provisions, into the softer social aspects. I must add that HDB will need to work with the Town Councils and the Advisors to make sure that all aspects of high-rise living continues to improve in Singapore and to make sure that our residents continue to, not just learn how to live in high-rise environment but how to live graciously. I think I have addressed most of the clarifications except for one where Ms Sylvia Lim asked a specific question. She asked why there is a need for an additional clause in section 51, clause 4 which reads, "any person or persons belonging to a class of persons prescribed by the Minister as a person to whom, or a class of persons to which, subsection (1) will not apply".”
“There is a bit of disquiet or reservation about one aspect of the Bill, which is the proposal to allow HDB to share its expertise outside Singapore. Er Lee Bee Wah and Mdm Cynthia Phua had some grave reservations about this, about allowing HDB to provide consultancy services outside Singapore and indeed, within Singapore. Their fear is that this will be at the expense of HDB's work locally. Let me assure both Members that this will not be at the expense of the work that HDB is doing. In fact, I am very clear that our primary responsibility, the main responsibility of HDB must be to its work here in Singapore and to the people here. I have absolutely no doubt about that and I have told HDB so. That is the reason why we have hived off Surbana to let Surbana do its work outside of Singapore. The reason for this provision is, from time to time, we do get requests from governments on a government-to- government basis, for HDB to do some consultancy work overseas. A good case-in-point is the Tianjin EcoCity project. Tianjin EcoCity project is a government-to-government project, a collaboration between the governments of Singapore and the PRC, to develop a township. Within this township, one of the aspects is the provision of a good public housing system. This is where HDB's expertise and consultancy are required. It is not so much in the planning of the town but the policies of HDB, ie, home ownership policies, rental policies, financing policies, what are the policies that have worked for Singapore and what are the policies that have not worked so well. This is the kind of expertise that we are trying to share with overseas governments.”
“They help them, hold their hands, look at their cases compassionately but not all cases deserve this compassion. There are cases that we have seen who have been helped on many occasions and still come back looking for more help. I think in those cases, we have to be very careful that we are not creating a mentality of coming to HDB for help every time they run into trouble and not exercising personal responsibility. HDB has to be very careful when it exercises this compassion that Mdm Ho talked about, so as not to generate or create a mentality of being over-dependant on the HDB and the Government. So families who are in need and who are deserving will be helped but they also need to exercise personal responsibility for their actions. Members may know that there is a whole array of counsellors in place at HDB branch offices that will help lessees look for alternative options, whether it is subletting, right-sizing, seeking advice on credit assessment, interim rental housing or in extreme cases, HDB rental housing. In other cases, counsellors will refer them to or link them up with CDCs for job matching, employment assistance and so on. So, there is a whole array of assistance measures that are being undertaken by a large group of what we call, housing counsellers, at the various HDB branch offices. If Members come across cases which require special help, they can either refer them to me or to my Ministry, either my Senior Minister of State or my Parliamentary Secretary, and we will see what can be done. That does not mean that every case that Members refer to us will be helped, but it does mean that we will look at the cases with closer scrutiny.”
“Mdm Ho asked about HDB's enforcement of cases of illegal subletting and how HDB will help those who are evicted, who are about to be evicted or who are not able to find affordable lodgings. She also asked about the number of illegal subletting cases. The first point I want to make is that the tenants who sublet their rental flats – do not forget that they are given the opportunity to rent a HDB flat at highly-subsidised rentals, ie, $30 or $60 at most. Yet at the same time, they sublet this rental flat. What does that mean? It means that they are depriving other people in the queue, who are in greater need of a flat, from getting this flat and therefore, they are abusing these generous subsidies. Similarly, if they are able to sublet their flats, it means they have alternative accommodation. Why do they need a flat in the first place? In 2008, HDB terminated the tenancies of 221 tenants. There were 221 cases of tenants who sublet their flats illegally. In 2009, there were 170 cases. In the first six months of this year, the cases have come down to 63 cases. I think this is the result of more publicity on illegal subletting. As I have said, the vast majority of those who sublet their flats actually have alternative accommodation. It is not as if they have no place to stay but there are a few who are in need of accommodation because they have no other housing options and HDB is prepared to help or has helped them on a case-to-case basis. In fact, that illustrates the point that Mdm Ho made. I thank her for her kind words about HDB's compassion. She recognises that HDB, in its own quiet way and without publicity, does help a lot of people who fall between the cracks.”
“With the setting up of CEA, we will be better able to protect public interests and raise the professional standards of the industry. We will do this by enhancing the licensing framework for the real estate agencies and we are also going to, for the first time, register estate agents. By tightening up the regulatory framework for the industry, we will be able to raise the standards of the industry and at the same time have a greater hold on both the agencies as well as the agents because we all know that estate agents play a very critical role in facilitating the whole property transaction process between buyers and sellers. Estate agents have, in fact, a very critical role to play because many of the buyers and sellers are not sophisticated buyers and sellers. They need the estate agents to protect and promote their interests and to service them professionally and ethically. So clearly, there is a conflict of interests if we allow estate agents to be involved in moneylending because they will, then, not be able to fulfil their obligations to their clients when they also profit from moneylending activities. Under the new regime, we are going to prohibit estate agencies and agents from becoming licensed moneylenders or becoming their employees. Currently, they are allowed to. This is one of the steps that we are going to take under the proposed CEA regime. Mr Ang Mong Seng also supported the Bill but he suggested putting in place a cooling off period to give flat owners more time to mull over their transactions. I will ask HDB to look into his suggestion. Now, I come to the other aspects of the Bill on which Members have raised queries. First of all, let me address Mdm Ho Geok Choo's point about illegal subletting of HDB flats.”
“We can offer or give them guidance and suggest to them, for example, to go for credit and financial counselling. We have various VWOs like the Credit Council of Singapore who do good work. They sit down with these people, advise them on how they can reschedule their debts and in some cases, I am told that the Credit Council of Singapore would also talk to the lenders to ask them to reschedule some of their debts or look for other ways of repayment. This is provided the borrowers are willing to go through this route and to subject themselves to some credit or financial counselling. Of course, those with financial difficulties have other avenues – we could refer them to CDCs. Perhaps they may be eligible for ComCare assistance or they may need a job if they are jobless. So there are other avenues that we can point them to for help but we are not in the position to help them to repay their debts. The other major point that was raised by Mdm Halimah and Mdm Ho Geok Choo is the role of real estate agents in this whole process. And I do agree that real estate agents play a very important role. They do facilitate it and they are, in some cases, the culprits in this whole process. It is important that we now urgently raised the professional standards and ethics of housing agents. Mdm Halimah specifically asked what measures my Ministry will be taking to prevent moneylenders from seeking out estate agents to secure borrowers, or vice versa, for real estate agents to recommend borrowers to moneylenders. I like to inform her that my Ministry will be introducing a Bill in Parliament soon to set up a new statutory board and this new statutory board will be called the Council for Estate Agents (CEA). I expect the CEA to be operational by the end of this year.”
“The other thing is that the caveats that are lodged on the flats give moneylenders a right over the sales proceeds, only if the owner sells the flat. The moneylender cannot force the owner to sell his flat if he does not wish to do so. Of course, we all know that the flat sellers may then come under a lot of pressure to sell the flat to repay the loan if they have no other means to repay the loan and this is where the problem starts. So, that is the reason that the legislative amendments today are to prevent the use of HDB flats and its sales proceeds to be used as collaterals for the loans. The question then is, what about the existing caveats? This is the question that Mdm Halimah asked. Mdm Ho Geok Choo also asked who are these flat owners who borrow from moneylenders? Why do they borrow? What do they borrow for? I do not have data on why they borrow and what they are borrowing for. I think there are a variety of reasons why they do so but based on the cases that we meet at our meet-the-people sessions, the reasons vary. It could be to finance a business, it could be to pay for emergency expenses or it could be to pay for a lifestyle that they cannot afford or, worse still, to settle their gambling debts. Whatever the reason, I think it is important for flat owners to realise that they need to exercise financial responsibility and to live within their means. The HDB is not in the position to help them to settle their debts. What I am trying to do is to prevent more people from falling into debt and to lose their flats as a result. Of course, having said that, we have to sympathise with those who do fall into such difficulties for whatever reason. We do have a responsibility to guide them and point them in the right direction.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, first allow me to thank Members who have spoken in support of this Bill. I think there is one major component of this Bill and there are two minor components. Most Members have spoken in support of the first major component, ie, the provision to prevent moneylenders from lodging caveats on the proceeds. However some Members have reservations about the other aspects of the Bill which I will address later. Let me first address Mdm Ho Geok Choo and Mdm Halimah's points. Specifically, their requests for details about existing caveats such as reasons why HDB owners borrow from moneylenders, the time-frame to honour such contracts and how my Ministry will be helping these flat owners with repayment of their debts such as mediating with moneylenders to reduce interest rates, and so on. The first point I would like to make in respect to these comments is that the legislative changes that I am making today will not affect existing contracts with valid caveats lodged. This is an important point because I want to make sure that the sanctity of contracts that are already entered into legally is preserved. We cannot unilaterally change existing contractual rights for the parties involved. The Government cannot exempt borrowers from their legal obligations to repay their debts. I also ought to clarify in case there is a misunderstanding – maybe Er Lee Bee Wah may have a wrong impression. This pertains to caveats lodged by licensed moneylenders. It does not deal with illegal moneylenders or loansharks. That is a totally different category altogether. In the first place, they do not enter into legally binding contracts. In the second place, they enforce their contracts in other ways, not in the ways that we normally think about.”
“Sir, I am also taking this opportunity to introduce in the Bill two unrelated operational amendments to allow HDB to discharge its statutory duties better. Clause 4 aligns HDB's punitive powers for public rental flats with that of sold flats. It allows for subsidiary legislation prescribing penalties for those who illegally sublet their public rental flats, in the same way that penalties can be prescribed for flat owners who do not comply with conditions relating to flats sold by HDB. Currently, for misuse of public rental flats such as illegal subletting, the only recourse is for HDB to take back the rental flat and to debar the tenant for a fixed period. HDB has no further powers beyond this. Their experience shows that taking back the rental flat and debarring the tenant is not a sufficient deterrent. This amendment will allow HDB to impose penalties and more effectively safeguard the heavily-subsidised rental flats for those who really need them. Lastly, clauses 2 and 3 amend the Housing and Development Act to allow HDB to provide much sought after technical and consultancy services, locally and internationally, on matters within its expertise. The amendments also allow HDB to act as a Government's agent to service request, to share its expertise in public housing development, both within and outside Singapore. HDB would also be able to develop, sell and acquire intellectual property rights on a commercial basis. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed. 5.29 pm”
“It continues to disallow HDB flat owners from using their HDB flat as security or collateral for any debt, or obligation, or claim. One key difference with this new clause is that this prohibition now includes the sales proceeds from the HDB flat. The re-enacted section 51 also implements a new rule that voids any contract or agreement to use HDB flats, including the sales proceeds, as security or collateral. The changes do not affect banks and financial institutions, who can continue to grant loans on the security of the flat for the purpose of financing its purchase. Besides providing that any contract using the HDB flat as security for debt is null and void, the Bill also provides that any Act, deed, instrument or document which protects rights under such a contract has no effect. This means that caveats against HDB flats for the payment of debt can no longer be lodged after the Bill is enacted. Existing contracts with valid caveats lodged would not be affected. This is in recognition of the sanctity of contracts that are already legally entered into. Financial prudence Sir, this policy change does not mean that HDB flat owners can no longer borrow from moneylenders. They can continue to do so. But they cannot use their HDB flat as a security, and they must find other ways to ensure that they repay their debts. In preventing moneylenders from lodging future caveats against HDB flats, we are emphasising – and re-emphasising in fact this fact – that the HDB flat is meant for home ownership and it is a long-term asset for retirement. It is not to be used for short-term profit-taking or to cover debts. The new section 51 underscores this point, and it is urgently needed to curb future abuses.”
“There have been periodic call for this rule to be relaxed, but we have decided after careful consideration not to do so. In view of recent developments, we need to do more to protect the homes of Singaporeans. Disallowing caveats pursuant to use of HDB flat as security Sir, under the current rules, moneylenders can enter into an agreement with the HDB flat owners for the sales proceeds to be assigned to them as repayment of debt, upon which the moneylenders then lodge caveats against the flats. Such caveats enable the moneylender to determine repayment owed before he agrees to withdraw the caveat to allow the sale transaction of the flat to go through. The problem is that once the flat seller has sold off his flat and repaid the moneylender, he cannot afford to purchase his next flat. The flat seller and the other flat occupiers become homeless and pose a burden to their family and friends for their housing needs and some join HDB's queue for rental flats, when they in fact do not qualify for rental housing. Against this context, we have decided to go one step further now and disallow the lodging of caveats to claim an interest in the sales proceeds of the flat. And this is the focus of the Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill 2010 that is before this House now. The Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill 2010 Currently, section 51 of the Housing and Development Act only provides that the title deeds of HDB flats cannot be used to create a security for debt. Section 51 does not prevent moneylenders from lodging caveats to claim an interest in the sales proceeds, after providing a loan. Clause 5 of the Bill repeals the existing section 51 and re-enacts the section.”
“I cannot over emphasise this fact. HDB flats are heavily subsidised to allow families to purchase and own their homes. Owning the roof over one's head is a significant commitment for any family and requires the family to be financially prudent and responsible to service their mortgage and plan for the long term. On the Government's part, we give generous subsidies to help young families and first-timers own their homes. As the flats and precincts grow older over time, we carry out upgrading and various improvement works at low cost or no cost to flat owners to help maintain the value of their flat. And finally, at old age, and this is where the long-term aspect of home ownership becomes crucial, flat owners can monetise their flats. They can supplement their retirement income either by subletting their flat, or a room, or by right-sizing to a smaller flat. This life-cycle approach to housing works only if people do not cash out on their retirement asset prematurely. They will become homeless, if they have sold their flat and have not planned for where they are going to stay next. They will also have whittled away their retirement nest egg. People are especially tempted to do this when flat prices are high. Selling their HDB flat prematurely, whether to cash in on its rising prices or to settle debts, is not a wise move, unless they have other housing options. It can only lead to bigger problems in the longer term. If Singaporeans use their flats as collateral to borrow, they risk losing their homes if they default on their loan. Since 1994, the Government has disallowed the re-mortgage of HDB flats, except for the purpose of financing the purchase of the flat.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." Members may recall that in 2008, Parliament approved the Moneylenders Bill to revamp the regulatory regime for moneylenders. The purpose was to introduce a more flexible and progressive approach to the regulation of moneylending to keep pace with the modern credit economy. Following this, the number of moneylenders licences has increased significantly. At the same time, there has been an increasing number of HDB flat owners borrowing from moneylenders and agreeing to assign the sales proceeds from their flats as repayment. These moneylenders then lodge caveats against the flats to claim an interest in the sales proceeds. In 2008, there were 12 registered resale applications with caveats lodged by moneylenders. In 2009, the figure increased to 546. In the six months of this year alone, there were 556 such cases. While this is permitted under the current legislative framework, the Government is concerned about this trend as it undermines the intention of the home ownership policy which seeks to provide a home for our people for long-term stay. Mdm Halimah Yacob raised similar concerns in Parliament in April this year. And I informed her at that time that my Ministry was reviewing this issue, and that we would be treating it with utmost urgency. Today's Bill is to address this problem. I have introduced it with a Certificate of Urgency to quickly put in place the legislative framework to prevent more HDB flat owners from ending up with caveats on their flats, after borrowing from moneylenders. Emphasis on long-term home ownership Sir, before we get into the details of the Bill, let me remind Members what HDB flats are primarily intended for. A HDB flat is for long-term home ownership.”
“Yes, Sir. Printed copies of the Bill have been handed to the Clerk for distribution to Members. [Copies of handouts distributed to hon. Members.] GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Goods and Services Tax Act (Chapter 117A of the 2005 Revised Edition)", recommendation of President signified; presented by the Second Minister for Finance (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Rapid Transit Systems Act (Chapter 263A of the 2004 Revised Edition) and to make related amendments to the Land Transport Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 158A of the 1996 Revised Edition)", presented by the Second Minister for Transport (Mrs Lim Hwee Hua); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Central Provident Fund Act (Chapter 36 of the 2001 Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Manpower (Mr Gan Kim Yong); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. SMOKING (CONTROL OF ADVERTISEMENTS AND SALE OF TOBACCO) (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.04 pm”
“Today, Sir, immediately after the conclusion of proceedings on Item 1 of the Orders of the day. Mr Speaker, Sir, I lay upon the Table a Certificate of Urgency signed by the President in respect of the Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill. Certificate of Urgency signed by the President in respect of the Bill, laid upon the Table by the Minister.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to introduce a Bill intituled "An Act to amend the Housing and Development Act (Chapter 129 of the 2004 Revised Edition)." Bill read the First Time. Second Reading”
“Town Councils maintain the common property, such as void decks and lift lobbies, at HDB housing estates. It is an offence under the Town Councils' Common Property and Open Spaces By-Laws to paste flyers on common property without prior written approval from the Town Council. Upon detection of unauthorised flyers bearing an address or contact number, the Town Council would typically contact and caution the offender. Should the offence persist, the Town Council would proceed to serve an offence notice to the offender. The offence carries a maximum penalty of $5,000. Town Councils can compound such an offence, in lieu of prosecution, by collecting a composition sum not exceeding $1,000 from the offender. However, the Town Councils and HDB cannot stop businesses (including real estate agencies) from distributing flyers to HDB households. To discourage such marketing practices, residents should refrain from responding to these flyers. VERNACULAR LANGUAGES AT POLYCLINICS 42. Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the proportion of doctors and supporting staff in polyclinics who speak our official languages other than English; and (b) what measures are there to ensure that vernacular speaking patients are not disadvantaged due to communication problems.”
“If we were to reveal the Reserve Price for sale sites, then it may influence or distort the developers' independent assessment of land prices and their bids, or deter some developers from bidding. It is in line with this principle that we announced in March this year that the Government will consider launching a Reserve List site for sale once it has received sufficient market interest for the site. That is, if there is more than one party that submits a minimum bid price that is close to the Government's reserve price for the site, we will consider releasing it for sale immediately. In short, the Reserve Price is not a strict minimum price for either the trigger or award of sites. (2) The 13 triggered sites in the first half 2010 GLS Programme, comprise seven residential sites, two commercial sites, one white site and three industrial sites. A total of 77 sites (including the 13 sites in first half 2010) have been successfully triggered for sale since the Reserve List system was introduced in second half 2001. BREAKDOWN OF CASINO LEVY AT INTEGRATED RESORTS 36. Mr Terry Lee asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports since the opening of Resorts World Sentosa (a) what is the breakdown of the total amount of casino levy collected by (i) day levy and (ii) annual levy; and (b) how will this collection benefit Singaporeans.”
“The Reserve List system is working well. In the first half of 2010, developers have successfully triggered 13 sites(2) for sale from the Reserve List. This is the highest number of sites triggered since the introduction of the Reserve List System in the second half of 2001. The Government releases and sells sites on the Reserve List in a fair and transparent manner. When a developer submits a bid price for a Reserve List site that is acceptable to the Government, the site will be released for sale via public tender. This acceptable bid price at which the Government is prepared to award the site is made known to the public prior to the tender for the site. After the tender has closed, all the bid prices submitted by developers and the successful tenderer for the site are also made known to the public. Mdm Ho asked whether it is possible to announce the Government's reserve bid price for state land. We do not think that making known the Government's Reserve Price for sites will make the system work better. In deciding whether to allow a trigger of a site from the Reserve List or whether to award a site that has been tendered out, the Government uses the Reserve Price as a guide. It is not used as the minimum price. There have been instances in the past when we have both allowed the successful trigger of sites as well as the award of sites at bids below the Reserve Price. Where there are sufficient bids from developers to indicate the fair market value of a site, we can choose to allow a trigger or award even if the top bid is below the Reserve Price. By not announcing the Reserve Price, we let developers decide the price they are prepared to pay for a site, and their bids thus provide us with a sense of the fair market value for the site.”
“Finally, if not, what are the punishments that can be meted out to those who flout the rules? I would urge the Member to be patient. This legislation will be brought into Parliament in the not-too-distant future. VIOLATIONS OF RETIREMENT AGE ACT 13. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what was the total number of complaints made against employers in 2009 for violations of the Retirement Age Act; (b) what were these complaints about; and (c) how were these complaints resolved.”
“On the first question about the caveats, as I indicated in my reply, the HDB home is not meant to be used as a collateral for loans, whether to illegal or legal moneylenders. Unfortunately, there has been a loophole that has allowed legal moneylenders to lodge such caveats. That is the reason why my Ministry is now looking at how we can prevent this from happening. This is going to be done before the regulations for the real estate agents are finalised. In other words, I am treating it as a matter of urgency. It is obvious that there has been abuses and people have been exploited. In this regard, the role of some rogue estate agents should also be examined. Here again, we are going to look into these malpractices, even before we finalise the regulations for real estate agents. This is going to be taken separately, from the measures we are taking to regulate estate agents, which comes to the Member's second point – whether there is a current loophole. The answer is yes, and that is the reason why we are looking at the whole industry structure. There is a need for us to raise the standards for the industry as a whole. I must say that most estate agents are genuine, helpful and provide a professional service. But unfortunately, if the industry is not regulated, and in the current climate especially, there are a lot of temptations for some real estate agents to take short cuts and to indulge in illegal or questionable practices. That is the reason why we are now taking a fundamental re-look at the whole industry. We are looking into whether we should have a formal form of registration for real estate agents. What are the mediation avenues available? If not, what are the dispute resolutions mechanisms available?”
“This is the reason why my Ministry is considering strengthening the regulatory framework to protect public interest and to raise professional standards in the industry. Mandatory examination is one component under consideration. My Ministry will be announcing the key elements of the new regulatory framework shortly. I will be also introducing legislation in this House to formalise those new regulations.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, real estate agencies are currently licensed by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). Over the last three years, IRAS has received a total of 154 complaints against real estate agents – 47 cases in 2007, 63 cases in 2008 and 44 cases in 2009). The current licensing regime does not empower IRAS to investigate into misconduct by real estate agents. IRAS’ practice is to refer the complaints it received to the Singapore Accredited Estate Agencies (SAEA) for investigation and resolution, if the agent is from an SAEA-accredited agency. Otherwise, IRAS will refer the complaints to the estate agencies directly. Where there are serious allegations, for example, cheating or falsification of documents, IRAS will advise the complainant to report to the Police. Besides complaints to IRAS, consumers also lodge their complaints with CASE. There has been an increase in complaints received by CASE in recent years, with 1,055 cases in 2007, 1,100 cases in 2008 and 1,079 cases in 2009. The Member asked about flat sellers who borrow money at exorbitant rates against the sale of their flats. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats are not meant for short-term profit taking. They should also not be used as "security" for loans. We have received feedback that some moneylenders provide loans on the condition that the borrowers repay the loans from the sales proceeds of their HDB flats. My Ministry is currently working with the relevant authorities on appropriate measures to curb such abuses. Existing regulations are clearly inadequate to deal with potential abuses and unscrupulous practices by errant real estate agents.”
“SALE OF RAFFLES HOTEL (Impact on Singapore's tourism industry) 9. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how will the recent sale of the iconic Raffles Hotel impact the tourism and hotel industry; and (b) will the proposed new look affect the hotel's heritage and iconic status.”
“We introduced the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) Plus in 2002 to replace the IUP. It is a combination of two programmes: Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) and Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP). The budget for the IUP component of the IUP Plus is $2,400 per flat. The budget for the LUP component is the same as standalone LUP projects. It varies depending on the block configuration and is subject to the $30,000 per Benefiting Unit (BU) cost cap. The actual cost of lift upgrading varies amongst the various Town Councils, depending on their block configurations. Different blocks require different lift upgrading solutions. For example, segmented blocks without common corridors may require the adding of new lift shafts to achieve direct lift access. This can cost about $30,000 per BU for a segmented block of 12 storeys with four lifts. On the other hand, a standard block with common corridors may only need new openings at lift landings for the lift car to stop at the floors that were not previously served. This would be cheaper since HDB only needs to upgrade the existing lifts. Other standard blocks which require new lift shafts would cost about $14,000 per BU for a standard block of 12 storeys with two lifts, including one new lift shaft. The lift upgrading budget for low-rise blocks is higher than high-rise blocks as there are fewer benefiting units to share the cost. The budget for lift upgrading in Hougang Town Council will be no different from that of another block with similar configuration in any other Town Council. This is regardless of whether the lift upgrading is conducted under IUP Plus or LUP. The LUP cost for the Hougang blocks announced in October 2009 has been estimated to range from $20,000 per BU to $28,000 per BU.”
“Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for National Development (a) how much did the Government disburse to the Marine Parade Town Council for its 11 precincts which underwent the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) and eight precincts which underwent IUP Plus programme; and (b) what is the number of units in these precincts.”