Saturday, March 6, 2010
Reflections
`All happenings will become the past.`
`Every individual`s life will extinguish.`
`All existence, in a flash, will no longer exist.`
- www.tbsn.org
- wong chee tat :)
3-year minimum occupation
3-year minimum occupation
By
Joyce Teo, Property Correspondent
THE Housing Board will raise the minimum occupation period (MOP) for the resale of non-subsidised flats to three years, in a move to reinforce owner-occupation and curb speculation.
Announcing the extended period in Parliament on Friday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said this will align the minimum occupation for home owners to resell and fully sublet non-subsidised flats.
Previously, those who take an HDB concessionary loan have to meet an MOP of 2.5 years, while those who take a bank loan or do not take a loan must occupy the flat for a year.
Responding to concerns raised by MPs during the debate on the National Development Ministry's budget in Parliament, Mr Mah reiterated that HDB flats are primarily meant to provide owners with a roof over their heads, and not for speculation or short-term profit. Hence, they are required to stay in their flat for a minimum period before they can sell it in the open market.
To foster owner-occupation, Mr Mah said the minimum occupation period for resale of non-subsidised flats will be increased to three years.
He said the trend of HDB owners selling their flats shortly after the minimum occupation period has been rising, although the numbers are not large. 'However, if the trend continues, buyers who genuinely need housing could be crowded out,' said Mr Mah.
The revised policy will apply to resale transactions where applications are received by HDB from Friday. Existing HDB owners of non-subsidised flats will not be affected, said the HDB.
- wong chee tat :)
By
Joyce Teo, Property Correspondent
The revised policy will apply to resale transactions where applications are received by HDB from Friday. Existing HDB owners of non-subsidised flats will not be affected. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE
THE Housing Board will raise the minimum occupation period (MOP) for the resale of non-subsidised flats to three years, in a move to reinforce owner-occupation and curb speculation.
Announcing the extended period in Parliament on Friday, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said this will align the minimum occupation for home owners to resell and fully sublet non-subsidised flats.
Previously, those who take an HDB concessionary loan have to meet an MOP of 2.5 years, while those who take a bank loan or do not take a loan must occupy the flat for a year.
Responding to concerns raised by MPs during the debate on the National Development Ministry's budget in Parliament, Mr Mah reiterated that HDB flats are primarily meant to provide owners with a roof over their heads, and not for speculation or short-term profit. Hence, they are required to stay in their flat for a minimum period before they can sell it in the open market.
To foster owner-occupation, Mr Mah said the minimum occupation period for resale of non-subsidised flats will be increased to three years.
He said the trend of HDB owners selling their flats shortly after the minimum occupation period has been rising, although the numbers are not large. 'However, if the trend continues, buyers who genuinely need housing could be crowded out,' said Mr Mah.
The revised policy will apply to resale transactions where applications are received by HDB from Friday. Existing HDB owners of non-subsidised flats will not be affected, said the HDB.
- wong chee tat :)
Hospital bed crunch on Mondays, Tuesdays
Hospital bed crunch on Mondays, Tuesdays
By Ong Dai Lin, TODAY | Posted: 04 March 2010 1031 hrs
SINGAPORE: It is harder to find a hospital bed for patients on Mondays and Tuesdays compared with other days in the week.
This, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Wednesday, is because doctors prefer to schedule patients to be admitted on Sundays so that non-urgent elective surgeries can be performed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Saying that there are sufficient hospital beds although there are mismatches on certain days like Mondays and Tuesdays, Mr Khaw said that one solution to the bed crunch problem in public hospitals is to delay electives by several months.
In places like Europe and the United States, patients generally wait a few months for non-emergency elective treatments. Said Mr Khaw: "We have been spoilt to be able to respond to electives within a few weeks. But because we have now reached this standard, it is very hard to reduce that."
He apologised that some patients have had to wait for a few hours before being admitted to their preferred wards, but stressed that the "clinical care for such patients is never compromised".
"When patients are waiting to be admitted, they continue to receive the appropriate care. Their doctors would ... order the necessary tests and initiate appropriate treatment immediately."
Patients in life-threatening situations are attended to immediately in the emergency departments.
For non-emergency cases that require admission, waiting time for a bed depends on the hospital they visit. For instance, at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, half the emergency department admissions in January were within two hours. Another 35 per cent of patients waited two to four hours, while five per cent waited over eight hours.
At public hospitals in general, the average bed occupancy rate in January was 82 per cent, falling to 77 per cent last month as patients avoided hospitalisation during the Chinese New Year.
But they were back to being "heavily stressed" last week, and are now short of beds as non urgent elective patients return for treatment.
The upcoming Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Jurong General Hospital, now under construction, should ease the bed crunch situation.
- TODAY
- wong chee tat :)
By Ong Dai Lin, TODAY | Posted: 04 March 2010 1031 hrs
SINGAPORE: It is harder to find a hospital bed for patients on Mondays and Tuesdays compared with other days in the week.
This, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Wednesday, is because doctors prefer to schedule patients to be admitted on Sundays so that non-urgent elective surgeries can be performed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Saying that there are sufficient hospital beds although there are mismatches on certain days like Mondays and Tuesdays, Mr Khaw said that one solution to the bed crunch problem in public hospitals is to delay electives by several months.
In places like Europe and the United States, patients generally wait a few months for non-emergency elective treatments. Said Mr Khaw: "We have been spoilt to be able to respond to electives within a few weeks. But because we have now reached this standard, it is very hard to reduce that."
He apologised that some patients have had to wait for a few hours before being admitted to their preferred wards, but stressed that the "clinical care for such patients is never compromised".
"When patients are waiting to be admitted, they continue to receive the appropriate care. Their doctors would ... order the necessary tests and initiate appropriate treatment immediately."
Patients in life-threatening situations are attended to immediately in the emergency departments.
For non-emergency cases that require admission, waiting time for a bed depends on the hospital they visit. For instance, at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, half the emergency department admissions in January were within two hours. Another 35 per cent of patients waited two to four hours, while five per cent waited over eight hours.
At public hospitals in general, the average bed occupancy rate in January was 82 per cent, falling to 77 per cent last month as patients avoided hospitalisation during the Chinese New Year.
But they were back to being "heavily stressed" last week, and are now short of beds as non urgent elective patients return for treatment.
The upcoming Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and Jurong General Hospital, now under construction, should ease the bed crunch situation.
- TODAY
- wong chee tat :)
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