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Source:
www.gov.sg |
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HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL SECOND
READING |
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SPEECH BY MR MAH BOW TAN, MINISTER FOR NATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT , 15 AUGUST 2005 |
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Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, ¡°That the
Bill be now read a second time.¡± |
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Objective |
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Sir, the key objective of the Housing &
Development (Amendment) Bill is to put in place the legislative
framework for the new Design, Build and Sell Scheme. |
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Under this scheme, the private
sector will step into HDB¡¯s shoes to build and sell HDB flats.
The Bill will introduce a new Part IVB under the Housing and Development
Act to give effect to this. |
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The Bill also seeks to introduce other
amendments to the H&D Act. These include allowing special upgrading
works, e.g. lift upgrading, to be offered in relation to two or more
buildings to link them together, expanding the composition of the HDB
Board, and widening certain powers of the HDB to facilitate its
operations. |
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Let me now explain the various key
provisions. |
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Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) |
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Sir, I announced in Parliament earlier this
year that MND and HDB will be piloting a new Design, Build and Sell
Scheme, or DBSS, in the second half of the year. |
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Under this scheme, the private sector will
undertake the development of public housing. Upon building completion,
the development will be vested in HDB. |
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HDB will remain the lessor for the flats and
administer their leases, while the Town Councils will manage and
maintain the common areas. |
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Under the DBSS, developers will bid for the
land through open tender and the successful tenderer will have the
flexibility to decide on the design of the flats, the flat mix and their
pricing. This allows greater scope for market forces to work. |
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So far, our public housing has been
developed entirely by HDB. Most of them are designed by HDB¡¯s in-house
architects. Hence, the DBSS represents a major shift in the way our
public housing programme is implemented. |
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This new scheme will enable the private
sector to play a bigger role in the public housing market. Our public
housing programme will be more responsive to the needs and aspirations
of Singaporeans. |
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Market competition will also benefit HDB
flat buyers by injecting fresh ideas into the design of public housing,
giving them a wider choice of flats and better value for money. |
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More..... |
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Source:
www.gov.sg Media Release 15 Aug 2005 |
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Private sector to build and sell HDB flats
