TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2009
HDB to offer 10,000 flats per year
BY RACHEL CHAN
M
EASURES that were
taken to cool the private-
property market ap-
pear to have worked, said Na-
tional Development Minister
Mah Bow Tan in Parliament yes-
terday, underlining what many
analysts had already concluded.
He noted that the Urban Re-
development Authority’s month-
ly data showed that sales of pri-
vate residential properties by de-
velopers fell month-on-month
by 37 per cent in September,
and by a further 29 per cent last
month.
He attributed this, in the
first instance, to the removal of
the interest-absorption scheme
mǎi dé qǐ de durable recovery.
and the interest-only loans
scheme in September.
A8
land sales of eight residential
sites on the confirmed list,
scheduled for the first half of
next year. This was a further sig-
nal that the Government intend-
ed to keep private homes
affordable.
MND had suspended the list
in October last year as the prop-
erty market weakened, but re-
cently decided to reinstate it as
private-home demand and pric-
es surged again.
These eight sites can hold an
estimated 2,900 units, Mr Mah
said. Another 18 sites have been
put on the reserve list, he added,
and all together, these sites can
generate about 10,600 units –
the highest from any half-yearly
Government Land Sales Pro-
gramme since the reserve list
system started in 2001.
ply has been increased to 5,000
flats in the last quarter of this
year.
He said: “If we include the re-
cent sale of balance flats last
month, HDB would have of-
fered over 7,000 flats in three
months, and a total of 13,500
flats this year.
“This is about half the
number of flats in Bukit Pan-
jang or Pasir Ris town. At this
rate, HDB would have offered
enough flats to fill another
Bukit Panjang or Pasir Ris in
just two years.”
Mr Mah offered this projec-
tion: “In the next five years,
HDB estimates that it will need
to offer between 10,000 and
12,000 new flats per year to
meet demand.”
Addressing a question by Mr
Chiam See Tong on construc-
we build and what we build... It
varies from $230,000 for a
three-room flat in Punggol to
$530,000 for a five-room flat in
Tiong Bahru”.
HDB does not price its flats
on a cost-plus-profit basis, he re-
minded the House.
Taken together with the addi-
tional housing grant, which var-
ies from $5,000 to $40,000,
buyers on average enjoy subsidies
amounting to about 20 per cent
of the market price of a
four-room flat.
HELPDESK
Reinstated: huī fù
Affordable:

GEORGE YEO ON SUCCESS
OF APEC SUMMIT
FOREIGN Affairs Minister
George Yeo said that
Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (Apec) delegates
remained hopeful and upbeat,
their mood reflecting the
gradual turnaround in the global
economy.
“Due to the non-binding
nature of Apec decisions,
leaders and ministers could
afford to be more candid and
more open to new ideas,” he
said.
“We reviewed the global
economic situation, launched
initiatives that will help
businesses and discussed
growth strategies to promote
“In particular, there was
broad agreement on reorien-
A third reason, he noted, was
that the Ministry of National De-
velopment (MND) had reinstated
On meeting the demand for
tion costs, he said that “the total
Housing Board flats, Mr Mah cost of building flats varies
said that the build-to-order sup- based on when we build, where
NOT JUST DUTY: Ms Mary May Simon Alayon (left) and Ms Candice
Ang went out of their way to help guests. (PHOTO: JAMIE KOH)
Great service behind
SuperStars in the making
BY CHERYL LIM
LAST November, Ms Candice Ang,
26, a senior guest-services executive
from Orchard Parade Hotel, accom-
panied a sick guest with kidney ill-
ness to a hospital.
She also made travel arrange-
ments for the guest’s daughter to
come from Australia to care for her.
When asked what motivates her,
Ms Ang said: “Seeing the delight on
the guest’s face gives me a sense of
achievement.”
She is among 36 nominees for the
SuperStar Award (Hospitality Sec-
tor) unveiled at the Spring Excellent
Service Award (EXSA) presentation
ceremony for the sector. Each re-
ceived a trophy.
Launched in 1994, EXSA recognis-
es individuals from 10 sectors who
provide outstanding service. The an-
nual award is managed by 10 agen-
cies and industry associations, and
Spring Singapore.
Only one SuperStar will be chosen
Demand: xū qiú liàng
Subsidies:  jīn tiē
from each sector. They will receive
their awards on Thursday.
Another nominee for the Super-
Star Award (Hospitality Sector) is
Ms Mary May Simon Alayon, 30,
Treetops Executive Residences’ assist-
ant manager of guest services.
She said:“When guests are sick,
I’ll order food for them, and will not
leave until they eat. I also make sure
they take their medicine,” she said.
Another nominee, Allson Hotel’s
assistant housekeeper, Ms Chng Poh
Kee, 50, helped an Australian tourist
retrieve a shopping bag he had left in
a food centre beside his hotel.
She said: “I went to the food cen-
tre twice, and finally found it. I
mailed the bag to him and he was
very grateful.”
Yesterday, 2,204 silver, gold and
star awards were also conferred on
staff from 77 organisations. Winners
and nominees were assessed based
on customer compliments and
awards conferred internally by their
employers, among other things.
cheryll@sph.com.sg
tating our growth strategies to
address the challenges of
climate change, globalisation
and macroeconomic
imbalances.”
This year’s summit also
managed to set key targets
such as making doing business
in the region easier, and
cheaper by 25 per cent, by 2015.
MORE INITIATIVES TO
INTEGRATE NEW MIGRANTS
THE National Integration
Council (NIC), set up in April,
will consolidate orientation
programmes for new citizens,
such as the People
Association’s National
Education Experience
Programme, and introduce a
Naturalisation and Integration
(N&I) Journey, said Minister for
Community Development, Youth
and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan.
The N&I Journey will enable
new citizens to learn about
Singapore’s history, social
norms and core values. They
will also be introduced to their
grassroots communities and be
encouraged to take part in the
many community-bonding
activities.
The NIC will also review the
group representation
constituency-level citizenship
ceremonies which are the
culmination of a new citizen’s
N&I journey.
The council also aims to
enhance the significance of the
ceremonies.
It is also working on
increasing awareness of
volunteering opportunities and
volunteer-matching services
available to newcomers.
The NIC recently launched
the $10-million Community
Integration Fund and will
provide co-funding of up to 80
per cent for social-integration
projects over three years that
support programmes which will
bring newcomers and
Singaporeans closer together.