The appointment of former health minister Khaw Boon Wan to the national development ministry has raised hopes of positive changes to public housing policies in Singapore. The Build-to-Order scheme of the Housing Development Board, commonly known as the BTO, is in serious need of a revamp because this policy has contributed significantly to rising prices [...]
Posts Tagged ‘flats’
Build-to-order scheme needs revamping
Posted: May 26, 2011 in PolicyTags: flats, HDB, policy, prices
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Counter fear with facts, counter darkness with light
Posted: May 1, 2011 in PoliticsTags: flats, GE2011, HDB, prices, singapore, voting
With all the fear mongering about falling property prices in Aljunied that the People’s Action Party has been engaging in recently, someone needs to set the record straight, and two very credible netizens, Bernard Leong and Gilbert Koh, who is better known as Mr Wang, have both written very insightful articles about why Aljunied residents need not [...]
Dummy letter to Minister of National Development
Posted: April 26, 2011 in HumourTags: flats, GE2011, HDB, voting
Dear Mr Mah Bow Tan, Almost 30 years ago, my parents bought a four room HDB flat for about $50,000. According to you, it is the sound policies of the PAP that resulted in enhancement of the value of my parents’ flat. Today, the flat is worth about $300,000, six times the value of what [...]
HDB flats and the illusion of wealth
Posted: April 25, 2011 in PolicyTags: flats, government, HDB, policy, prices, singapore
The escalating prices of Housing Development Board flats are in the spotlight once again, and the upward climb is likely to continue into the future. The Singapore government, from time to time, uses the rising prices of HDB flats as an indicator of the rising affluence of Singaporeans. Most Singaporeans ‘own’ (technically, Singaporeans lease the [...]
Of raids and reserves
Posted: April 23, 2011 in Policy, PoliticsTags: flats, GE2011, government, HDB, politics, prices, singapore, voting
On the issue of affordability of HDB flats, the PAP appeared to be on the defensive. Instead of discussing the issue of affordability, Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan had been arguing on the basis of price. Mah contended that HDB owners have a more valuable home today because PAP policies have resulted in a [...]
Flat prices: enhancement or inflation
Posted: April 21, 2011 in PolicyTags: flats, GE2011, government, HDB, policy, politics, prices, singapore, wages
Minister of National Development Mah Bow Tan was quoted as saying in a Channel NewsAsia report that he’s proud of the PAP government’s asset enhancement policy. Data from the Housing Development Board’s and the Ministry of Manpower’s websites showed that Mah was perhaps being too modest. MOM’s website showed the annual rate of average earnings in [...]
