HDB does not price new flats based on costs: Desmond Lee
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee recently gave a good explainer on the issue of land cost and HDB BTO Valuation in parliament. His explanation also covers why the HDB runs at a deficit of a couple or three billion dollars annually. Unfortunately, the parliament is a poor avenue for treating an important subject that […]
With increasing numbers of million-dollar HDB homes in Singapore, is public housing still affordable?
Since the end of the Circuit Breaker, demand for housing has pushed resale flats prices to a new high, with HDB resale prices rising for the 26th straight month in August 2022. The sale of million-dollar HDB did not slow down. In September 2022 alone, HDB recorded another 45 million-dollar HDB flats transaction, more than the 33 million-dollar […]
Heng Swee Keat’s words that interest rates could change very quickly proved to be prophetic
Back in Feb 2021 during the budget debate, Associate Professor Jamus Lim of Workers’ Party (WP) had suggested that borrowing be used to fund soft capital like education. Jamus Lim and fellow WP MP Louis Chua had argued that the notion of infrastructure should be expanded to include “soft infrastructure” like human capital. Then Finance Minister […]
Where in the world has a Government produced homes for every family?
Singaporeans love to complain. They want their BTO fast. They want it cheap. And they want it big. For an island state that is so small – just 719 sq km – Singapore has managed to build homes for 85% of households. Countries with vast lands have not done so. While many governments have focused […]
Why in the first place was the PPP approach adopted for SportsHub and why terminate now?
It’s easy to criticise and ask why in the first place did the government choose Public Private Partnership. But we are looking back at a decision made some 20 years ago with the capabilities and expertise that we now have today, that we did not have 20 years ago. We need to understand that the […]
Is it true that Leong Mun Wai made bogus allegations against the PAP Government?
The Government did not spend a single cent to build Sports Hub. It is only right and fair that when the Government decides to terminate the Private Public Partnership (PPP) with SportsHub Pte Ltd, they should pay for the capital expenditure incurred by the PPP in the construction of Sports Hub. Anything less would be […]
MPs must assure residents that help is available: Tan See Leng responding to Jamus Lim’s Facebook post
MPs must assure residents who express anxieties over competition, that help is available, Dr Tan See Leng said. Manpower Minister Dr Tan See Leng was responding to a social media post (23 Sep) by WP MP Jamus Lim sharing his residents’ views on the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass and our foreign workforce policies. In […]
Attracting global talent with ONE Pass and grooming local talent for leadership positions
In the race to compete for global talent, Singapore is coming from a position of strength, but we cannot stand still, Manpower Minister Dr Tan See Leng said in a ministerial statement in Parliament (12 September 2022). Creating a virtuous cycle What the Singapore Government wants to do with its global talent quest is to […]
Should Buy Now, Pay Later scheme be allowed for Migrant Domestic Workers?
Responding to a Parliamentary Question (“PQ”) on the Buy Now, Pay Later (“BNPL”) scheme Filed by MP Mr Desmond Choo on 5 April 2022. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS”) assessed that the BNPL scheme does not pose any significant risks of consumer indebtedness and will continue to monitor the situation. However, mobile phone retailers […]
India Supreme Court’s decision on definition of marriage illustrates the risk of legal challenge to current definition of marriage: Shanmugam
The recent ruling by the Indian Supreme Court to widen the definition of families to “atypical” households like same-sex couples has starkly illustrated the risks of a legal challenge to Singapore’s current definition of marriage, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said in a Facebook post on 1 September. Mr Shanmugam noted that the […]