Daily Archives: 20 Oct 2009

Only 200 HDB blocks not eligible for lift upgrading

Posted on 20 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Only 200 HDB blocks not eligible for lift upgrading

ONLY 200 out of around 5,300 HDB blocks built before 1990 will not be getting lifts that stop at every floor.
Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said the solutions include installing shaftless lifts, smaller lifts for low-rise blocks, and reconfigured lift access for blocks with lift landings halfway between floors. — PHOTO: BH
200 HDB blocks are not eligible for lift upgrade because it is too costly. — ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

They do not qualify for the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) because it would cost more than $30,000 per unit to install lifts in these blocks.

This is in spite of innovative and cost-effective solutions by the Housing and Development Board to bring costs down, Parliament heard yesterday. Continue reading →

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Real estate agencies deserve their cut

Posted on 20 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Real estate agencies deserve their cut

I REFER to yesterday’s letters by Mr Chua Khim Leng (‘New rules should protect property agents‘) and Mr Jason Sim (‘Zero commission? It’s too good to be true’).

The Institute of Estate Agents was advised by the Competition Commission of Singapore to remove its commission guidelines in June last year. In the commission’s view, the guidelines are ‘harmful to competition, restricting competition in both fee levels and fee structure in the real estate industry, and likely to have the object of appreciably restricting competition among real estate agents in the real estate agency market’.

The commission guidelines were officially removed in September last year. Mr Chua’s suggestion to standardise commission rates is not tenable as it is anti-competitive.

Agencies are at liberty to set their own fee guidelines and compete with each other on value propositions to their clients. This is where agents play a key role in adding value to the services provided. Continue reading →

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Posted in CEA

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