Sent to Straits Times Forum Page on 2 April 2012
The recent large increase in our population has put a strain on our roads and
public transport infrastructure.
While the Government is increasing the capacity of our infrastructure, we should
consider ways to reduce the need to commute to and from work. We can
encourage more people to live near their place of work, including renting a home nearby.
While the government policy on home ownership has its positive impacts, it
also has the unintended consequence of increasing the demand for
commuting. As people stay rooted in their own homes, they often had to
commute long distances.
We should now review this policy and consider some possible measures to encourage
people live close to their place of work:
- allow the owner to rent out a HDB flat and live in a rented home near the workplace.
- allow the owner to buy a new home to replace an existing home, and apply for waiver
of the stamp duty.
- allow the owner to claim the concessionary property tax rate on one property, even
if it is not owner occupied, so that the owner can choose to live in a rented home
near the workplace.
Tan Kin Lian
Fair suggestions for the Gov to seriously consider.
ReplyDeleteThe past 15 years of 'asset enhancements" policy and indiscriminate open door policies and all resulted in largely poor living conditions for the majority of true-blue Singaporeans.
There is some moves of late by the incumbent Gov to listen. But, we get the impression that we can feedback for all they care. DPM Tharman, appears to be the lone minister who dare to suggest some real listening.
I realize, looking through my past blog postings, that I had written a similar letter to the newspaper. I do not know if they have been published.
ReplyDeleteI will continue to write about it until an effective solution is found (which need not be the one that I have suggested).
If the existing approaches taken by the Government do not solve the problem, they should consider my suggestion.