Minister Khaw launches new blog on housing matters
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HE MAY now be in charge of a new portfolio but National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan carries over the blogging tradition set during his stint as Health Minister.
Housing Matters, officially launched on Thursday, is Mr Khaw's new blog (mndsingapore.wordpress.com) where he voices his 'thoughts, considerations and suggestions on issues and policies under the purview of the Ministry of National Development, which could possibly range from housing, property market, land use, food safety, urban greenery to the construction industry', according to a statement from the ministry.
Here is an excerpt:
'I am not a masochist. Housing is hot politically and there are genuine problems on the ground. At my MPS, 70 per cent of appeal cases are on housing. I don't think I am the only MP who harasses MND/HDB regularly.
I will be very comfortable staying back in MOH and I still have meaningful programmes to launch or complete. But I thought in my next five years I can be more useful in MND than in MOH.
Many have emailed, written, and facebooked me, offering advice, suggestions, feedback. There were hundreds of them and many more will come, I am sure. I thank them all. They have given me a feel of the nature and the scale of the unhappiness and concerns.
Several wisely advised me 'not to try to please all, as that will surely fail'. Indeed, this is also not possible, as the demands are often contradictory. For example, many want me to bring property prices down. Many also warn me NOT to bring prices down.
I am therefore realistic about what is doable. The key is to prioritise and set realistic goals, for short term, medium term and long term. In the immediate, I will focus on the housing needs of some groups like the young couples, divorcees with children, and low income families as I appreciate the anxieties they are currently experiencing.
As in MOH, I will consult widely, with experts, customers, industry players and Singaporeans. I will use all communications platforms available, on-line, off-line, closed door forums, open forums, big groups, small groups. It will be time-consuming but I am sure will be enriching and educational.'
-- ST
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the art of balancing is not easy...it requires lots of monitoring and prompt measures to react to sudden property hikes or slumps...as the trend goes, it is spiraling upwards....
the past housing policy model has to be reviewed .... to detect where are the...
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If blogging can bring down "affordable" house prices, I am all for it.
Really.
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Cheaper faster better.
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maybe he'll tell us to go live in JB along with the elderly he told to go over there to live?
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There won't be significant changes in HDB. Look at what he's really done in MOH. He didn't rock the boat nor reinvent the wheel.....he just played safe. Conservative chap. If anything, the medical insurance system should have been revamped. This guy will be voted out the next elections.
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If he does any drastic changes, that would mean the previous minister was not doing his job properly.
So yes, he will probably go for some cosmetic change to make it look like something has been done.
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I was inform by HDB that I can't use my CPF to pay for my
Housing Loan by Oct'11 cos of Max Limit reach
I'm currently working with enough CPF to service my Loan but don know
wat policy they have to set this kind of Limit
I want to write in to new MP & complain
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Originally posted by JerryJan:
I was inform by HDB that I can't use my CPF to pay for my
Housing Loan by Oct'11 cos of limit
I'm currently working with enough CPF to service my Loan but don know
wat policy they have to set this kind of Limit
I want to write in to MP & complain soon
Not many people take into account of this small print of being able to use CPF up to a certain %.
That's why soon there will be more people like you who will go wtf, why can't I use my CPF money anymore to pay.
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Just to add.
That means coughing up cash (when you are in your 50s or 60s) to continue the monthly payments.
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Originally posted by JerryJan:
I was inform by HDB that I can't use my CPF to pay for my
Housing Loan by Oct'11 cos of Max Limit reach
I'm currently working with enough CPF to service my Loan but don know
wat policy they have to set this kind of Limit
I want to write in to new MP & complain
give the trees a break. dont waste paper.
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Originally posted by ^Acid^ aka s|aO^eH~:
Similarities.
Long lost brothers or twins.
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Originally posted by βÎτά:
Similarities.
Long lost brothers or twins.
stunt double... Maybe we'll get to see Lion King in the parliment -
A lot of these MPs write letters but I wonder how effective they are. There should be some stats on how these MPS......how they work out, what is the success rate. It can also showcase the bureaucracy of the civil service, the rigidity of national policies etc.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
A lot of these MPs write letters but I wonder how effective they are. There should be some stats on how these MPS......how they work out, what is the success rate. It can also showcase the bureaucracy of the civil service, the rigidity of national policies etc.
use a standard template to ask and get a standard reply from another standard template.
then use another standard template to reply to whoever started the whole thing.
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Originally posted by charlize:
Not many people take into account of this small print of being able to use CPF up to a certain %.
That's why soon there will be more people like you who will go wtf, why can't I use my CPF money anymore to pay.
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Originally posted by dragg:
give the trees a break. dont waste paper.
I send email to HDB / CPF website
where got waste paper
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I hope gt hacker deface his website.
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I just receive reply from Transport Minister on my complain abt bus 69 -Lui Tuck Yew wrote: "I'll be happy to ask LTA to look into this. Every quarter, based on feedback from commuters like yourself and their observations on the ground, LTA prioritises a number of services that they will focus effort on (together with the operator) to improve."
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Minister Khaw posts new blog about BTO flats
JUST one day after its official launch, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan's new blog - Housing Matters - has addressed the issue of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats.
The post touches on Mr Khaw's plans to increase supplies of BTO flats to help young couples own their own homes as soon as possible.
Here is an excerpt (carried exactly as is posted online) from his post titled Build Ahead of Order:
'One priority is to help young couples own their own homes as soon as possible, so that they can start their family and have babies. This is a national priority - promoting marriages and births - and MND must facilitate it to its best ability.'
'Currently, 70% of new couples get their first homes via HDB's BTO (Build-to-Order) flats. The rest get theirs in the resale market. This is not bad, but I think there is scope to do more.'
'I think we should strive to have the vast majority of new couples start off their first set of homes in HDB, preferably via the BTO route. There are about 15,000 first marriages amongst Singaporeans a year.'
'HDB has ramped up BTO development, with monthly BTO launches totalling 22,000 flats this year. Indeed, the May BTO is launched today, offering close to 4,000 flats in Tampines, Punggol, Pasir Ris, and Woodlands.'
'I have told HDB to do more.'
'First, to tender as soon as architectural drawings and tender documents are ready. Currently, a tender is called only after 70% of orders have been confirmed; hence 'build to order'. Given robust demand, I told them to proceed to build, knowing that the orders will definitely come. In other words, build ahead of demand, during this period of demand backlog. We can return to normal BTO approach, after we have stabilised the situation.'
To read more of Minister Khaw's latest blog post, go here: http://mndsingapore.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/build-ahead-of-order/
-- ST
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I want email Mr Khaw.