- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Recap提供组屋杂费回扣
提供组屋杂费回扣
李静仪 2016年03月24日 1711
（联合早报网讯）政府将为组屋屋主提供一到三个月的杂费回扣。
一房和二房式组屋今年可享有三个月的杂费回扣，三房和四房式组屋则可享有两个月回扣，五房式组屋可获1.5个月回扣，公寓式组屋及多代同堂家庭1个月回扣。
上述计划将耗资8600万元，让约84万户组屋住户受惠。
财政部长王瑞杰在下午发布的新加坡2016财政年预算案声明中，做出以上宣布。
- wong chee tat :)
李静仪 2016年03月24日 1711
（联合早报网讯）政府将为组屋屋主提供一到三个月的杂费回扣。
一房和二房式组屋今年可享有三个月的杂费回扣，三房和四房式组屋则可享有两个月回扣，五房式组屋可获1.5个月回扣，公寓式组屋及多代同堂家庭1个月回扣。
上述计划将耗资8600万元，让约84万户组屋住户受惠。
财政部长王瑞杰在下午发布的新加坡2016财政年预算案声明中，做出以上宣布。
- wong chee tat :)
Budget 2016: New initiatives to encourage Singaporeans to give back to community
Budget 2016: New initiatives to encourage Singaporeans to give back to community
From tax deductions to a new fund to catalyse ground-up projects, Budget 2016 introduces initiatives to encourage Singaporeans to help those in need.
Posted 24 Mar 2016 17:18
SINGAPORE: To encourage Singaporeans and businesses to give back to the community, Budget 2016 will introduce measures that encourage people to step forward and make it easier for employees to contribute through their workplaces, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced on Thursday (Mar 24).
Currently, businesses receive a tax deduction of 250 per cent for donations of cash and in-kind donations such as computers to certain Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs).
To encourage employee volunteerism, a pilot Business and IPC Partnership scheme will be introduced. From Jul 1 this year until the end of 2018, companies that organise their employees to volunteer and provide services to IPCs, including secondments, will also receive a 250 per cent tax deduction on costs incurred.
This deduction requires the receiving IPC’s agreement, and is subject to a yearly cap of S$250,000 per business and S$50,000 per IPC, Mr Heng said.
The Community Chest’s monthly donation programme SHARE will also get a boost, with dollar-for-dollar matching from the Government for any additional donations over and above the FY2015 level. This will be done for the next three years, starting in April this year, Mr Heng said.
“Where businesses allow their staff to donate regularly, we will allow part of the matching funds to be used by them to organise corporate social responsibility activities,” he added.
COMMUNITY NETWORKS FOR SENIORS
A pilot initiative called the Community Networks for Seniors will be launched, comprising local stakeholders such as Voluntary Welfare Organisations, community volunteers, schools and businesses.
At its core, the network will have a small team of full-time officers, who will study the health and social needs of seniors and draw stakeholders together to provide coordinated support, Mr Heng said.
“We hope to help seniors discover health conditions earlier and manage them well, while connecting those who are healthy and mobile to a wide range of activities to encourage them to stay active, healthy and engaged in the community,” he said.
Seniors who require more help, such as frail elderly living alone, will get more targeted and coordinated health and social support under the networks.
CATALYSING GROUND-UP INITIATIVES
According to Mr Heng, the SG50 Celebration Fund – set up to support ground-up community projects in celebration of Singapore’s Jubilee year – received good response and supported close to 400 projects.
To continue supporting such initiatives, a new S$25 million Our Singapore Fund will be set up by the second half of this year.
“It is Our Singapore Fund because it is about how we all can come together in partnership to share our strengths, share our loves, create something more and better together, to build our Singapore together,” Mr Heng said.
The fund will support projects that build the spirit of caring and resilience, nurture our can-do spirit, and promote unity and our sense of being Singaporean, he added.
“This is the spirit of the society that we are building. It is one where we rise above our circumstances, to build a better life for ourselves and our children. It is a society that cares for those in need, and where those who are helped do their part to help others. It is a society that we are all proud to be a part of,” he said.
- CNA/cy
- wong chee tat :)
From tax deductions to a new fund to catalyse ground-up projects, Budget 2016 introduces initiatives to encourage Singaporeans to help those in need.
Posted 24 Mar 2016 17:18
SINGAPORE: To encourage Singaporeans and businesses to give back to the community, Budget 2016 will introduce measures that encourage people to step forward and make it easier for employees to contribute through their workplaces, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced on Thursday (Mar 24).
Currently, businesses receive a tax deduction of 250 per cent for donations of cash and in-kind donations such as computers to certain Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs).
To encourage employee volunteerism, a pilot Business and IPC Partnership scheme will be introduced. From Jul 1 this year until the end of 2018, companies that organise their employees to volunteer and provide services to IPCs, including secondments, will also receive a 250 per cent tax deduction on costs incurred.
This deduction requires the receiving IPC’s agreement, and is subject to a yearly cap of S$250,000 per business and S$50,000 per IPC, Mr Heng said.
The Community Chest’s monthly donation programme SHARE will also get a boost, with dollar-for-dollar matching from the Government for any additional donations over and above the FY2015 level. This will be done for the next three years, starting in April this year, Mr Heng said.
“Where businesses allow their staff to donate regularly, we will allow part of the matching funds to be used by them to organise corporate social responsibility activities,” he added.
COMMUNITY NETWORKS FOR SENIORS
A pilot initiative called the Community Networks for Seniors will be launched, comprising local stakeholders such as Voluntary Welfare Organisations, community volunteers, schools and businesses.
At its core, the network will have a small team of full-time officers, who will study the health and social needs of seniors and draw stakeholders together to provide coordinated support, Mr Heng said.
“We hope to help seniors discover health conditions earlier and manage them well, while connecting those who are healthy and mobile to a wide range of activities to encourage them to stay active, healthy and engaged in the community,” he said.
Seniors who require more help, such as frail elderly living alone, will get more targeted and coordinated health and social support under the networks.
CATALYSING GROUND-UP INITIATIVES
According to Mr Heng, the SG50 Celebration Fund – set up to support ground-up community projects in celebration of Singapore’s Jubilee year – received good response and supported close to 400 projects.
To continue supporting such initiatives, a new S$25 million Our Singapore Fund will be set up by the second half of this year.
“It is Our Singapore Fund because it is about how we all can come together in partnership to share our strengths, share our loves, create something more and better together, to build our Singapore together,” Mr Heng said.
The fund will support projects that build the spirit of caring and resilience, nurture our can-do spirit, and promote unity and our sense of being Singaporean, he added.
“This is the spirit of the society that we are building. It is one where we rise above our circumstances, to build a better life for ourselves and our children. It is a society that cares for those in need, and where those who are helped do their part to help others. It is a society that we are all proud to be a part of,” he said.
- CNA/cy
- wong chee tat :)
Town Councils may need to set aside part of sinking fund for lift replacement: Lawrence Wong
Town Councils may need to set aside part of sinking fund for lift replacement: Lawrence Wong
The National Development Minister was responding to queries from Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Chong Kee Hiong on whether the ministry will investigate if Town Councils have sufficient funds for such projects.
By Chan Luo Er, Channel NewsAsia
Posted 24 Mar 2016 20:28 Updated 24 Mar 2016 20:30
SINGAPORE: Town Councils may be made to set aside part of their sinking funds for lift replacement, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Thursday (Mar 24).
He was responding to queries from Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Chong Kee Hiong on whether the ministry will investigate if Town Councils have sufficient funds for such projects.
This comes after the authorities announced plans to ramp up checks on lifts, especially in HDB blocks, and update lift regulations following a recent spate of incidents.
"The Ministry of National Development is currently reviewing ways to help Town Councils plan ahead and better monitor their long-term financial sufficiency. For example, we are looking at having Town Councils do their own projections and put in place plans for financial sustainability. Given that lift replacement is a major Sinking Fund expenditure, we are also considering ring-fencing part of the Town Councils’ Sinking Funds to cater for such expenditures," said Mr Wong.
Mr Wong also said Town Councils are required to keep lifts functioning properly in HDB estates and should ensure they have enough funds to carry out their responsibilities.
Under the Town Council Act and Rules, they must set aside a minimum of 30 or 35 per cent of the service and conservancy charges collected and grants-in-aid received to fund cyclical works, including lift replacement.
- CNA/dl
- wong chee tat :)
The National Development Minister was responding to queries from Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Chong Kee Hiong on whether the ministry will investigate if Town Councils have sufficient funds for such projects.
By Chan Luo Er, Channel NewsAsia
Posted 24 Mar 2016 20:28 Updated 24 Mar 2016 20:30
SINGAPORE: Town Councils may be made to set aside part of their sinking funds for lift replacement, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Thursday (Mar 24).
He was responding to queries from Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Chong Kee Hiong on whether the ministry will investigate if Town Councils have sufficient funds for such projects.
This comes after the authorities announced plans to ramp up checks on lifts, especially in HDB blocks, and update lift regulations following a recent spate of incidents.
"The Ministry of National Development is currently reviewing ways to help Town Councils plan ahead and better monitor their long-term financial sufficiency. For example, we are looking at having Town Councils do their own projections and put in place plans for financial sustainability. Given that lift replacement is a major Sinking Fund expenditure, we are also considering ring-fencing part of the Town Councils’ Sinking Funds to cater for such expenditures," said Mr Wong.
Mr Wong also said Town Councils are required to keep lifts functioning properly in HDB estates and should ensure they have enough funds to carry out their responsibilities.
Under the Town Council Act and Rules, they must set aside a minimum of 30 or 35 per cent of the service and conservancy charges collected and grants-in-aid received to fund cyclical works, including lift replacement.
- CNA/dl
- wong chee tat :)
HDB Launches 4,170 Flats in First BTO Exercise of 2016
Published Date: 24 Feb 2016
Today, HDB launched 4,170 new flats for sale under the February 2016 Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise. Spread across three projects located in the non-mature towns of Bukit Batok and Sengkang, and the mature estate of Bidadari, they make up the first tranche of 18,000 flats to be launched in 2016.
February 2016 BTO Exercise
2 A wide range of flats, comprising 2-room Flexi to Three-Generation (3Gen) flats, will be offered in this BTO exercise to meet the housing needs of first-timers, second-timers, multi-generation families, elderly and singles. Further details can be found in Annex A.
3 Eligible first-timer families can enjoy up to $80,000 of housing grants, comprising the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) (up to $40,000) and the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) (up to $40,000). With these grants, buyers of 2-room Flexi, 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flats pay as little as $4,0001, $93,000, $211,000 and $314,000 respectively.
4 New HDB flats are priced with a generous subsidy, taking into account factors such as location, flat attributes and prevailing market conditions. HDB’s prices are considerably lower than transacted prices of comparable resale flats in the vicinity (see Table 1 for the BTO prices and the comparable resale prices).
Table 1: February 2016 BTO Prices
| Town | Project(s) | Flat Type | Transacted Prices of Resale Flats in the Vicinity# | Selling Price (Excluding Grants@) | Selling Price (Including Grants^) |
| Non - Mature Towns | |||||
| Bukit Batok | 2-room Flexi* | - | From $85,000 | From $5,000 | |
| 3-room | $280,000 - $307,000 | From $163,000 | From $93,000 | ||
| 4-room | $387,000 - $500,000 | From $266,000 | From $211,000 | ||
| 5-room | $508,000 - $585,000 | From $367,000 | From $357,000 | ||
| Sengkang | Anchorvale Plains | 2-room Flexi* | - | From $80,000 | From $4,000+ |
| 3-room | - | From $171,000 | From $101,000 | ||
| 4-room | $365,000 - $415,000 | From $267,000 | From $212,000 | ||
| 5-room | $380,000 - $481,000 | From $324,000 | From $314,000 | ||
| Mature Town | |||||
| Toa Payoh | Alkaff Oasis | 2-room Flexi* | - | From $154,000 | From $114,000 |
| 3-room | $363,000 - $420,000 | From $303,000 | From $273,000 | ||
| 4-room | $530,000 - $560,000 | From $440,000 | From $425,000 | ||
| 5-room | $570,000 - $838,000 | From $546,000 | From $536,000 | ||
| 3Gen | - | From $553,000 | From $543,000 | ||
Note:
* Come in two sizes of 36 sqm (Type 1) and 45 sqm (Type 2).
^ The assumed housing grants are meant for applicants applying as a family nucleus or two singles under the Joint Singles Scheme for a 2-room Flexi BTO flat. SHG is applicable only to 2-room Flexi, 3-room and 4-room flats in the non-mature towns. With the SHG enhancement announced at NDR 2015, eligible first-time flat buyers with income up to $8,500 would now enjoy SHG of up to $40,000:
- 2-room Flexi flat: $80,000 (comprising AHG of $40,000 and SHG of $40,000 where applicable)
- 3-room flat: $70,000 (comprising AHG of $30,000 and SHG of $40,000 where applicable)
- 4-room flat: $55,000 (comprising AHG of $15,000 and SHG of $40,000 where applicable)
- 5-room flat / 3Gen flat: $10,000 (AHG only)
The actual grant amounts vary based on income and choice of flat type. Read more on various CPF Housing Grants available.
+ Buyers are required to pay at least 5% of the published price using their own CPF and/or cash savings when the total housing grants (i.e. AHG and SHG) that they are eligible for exceed 95% of the published price of flat. Excess housing grants, if any, can be used to pay for OCS items and premiums that singles and Singapore Citizen/Singapore Permanent Resident households have to pay, before they are credited into the Singaporean buyer’s CPF SA/RA and MA.
# Details on the respective resale comparables in the vicinity for each BTO project can be found on the HDB e-Sales website. The differences in attributes between the resale comparables and the BTO flats should be taken into account when making a comparison.
@ Singles who apply for the 2-room Flexi flats under the Single Singapore Citizen Scheme will pay $15,000 more than married couples. Eligible singles can also apply for AHG and SHG. The additional amount payable and the grants will vary based on the choice of lease tenure. The actual grant amounts will vary according to income. Read more on various CPF Housing Grants available.
5 The 2-room Flexi flats are priced taking into account the lease tenure and whether the buyers are first-timers, second-timers, or others. The price range of 2-room Flexi flats on short leases is shown in Annex B.
6 First-timer families will continue to enjoy priority in flat allocation2. Married/courting couples who wish to live together with their parent(s) can apply for a 3Gen flat in Bidadari. Other multi-generation families who wish to live near each other in the same BTO project can apply for flats in Alkaff Oasis, West Plains @ Bukit Batok or Anchorvale Plains under the Multi-Generation Priority Scheme 3(MGPS).
Advice for Flat Buyers
7 Applicants are advised to apply for a BTO flat in non-mature towns to enjoy a higher chance of success in securing a flat.
8 Regular updates on the number of applications submitted for the various flat types/towns will be published on the HDB InfoWEB. Applicants are advised to check for updates before submitting their application.
9 Applicants who wish to take up an HDB housing loan for their flat purchase must produce a valid HDB Loan Eligibility (HLE) Letter when they book a flat. They are encouraged to apply for an HLE Letter early so that they can plan their flat purchase in advance. The HLE Letter will indicate the maximum loan that can be offered based on individuals’ financial situation. Applicants can check their loan eligibility and apply for an HLE letter at www.hdb.gov.sg/hleapply.
Application for February 2016 BTO Exercise
10 Application for new flats launched in the February 2016 BTO exercise can be submitted online on the HDB InfoWEB from today,24 February 2016 (Wednesday) to 1 March 2016 (Tuesday). Applicants can apply for only one flat type in one town.
11 More details on application procedures can be found in Annex C.
12 For enquiries, the public can:
- Log on to esales.hdb.gov.sg; or
- E-mail hdbsales@mailbox.hdb.gov.sg; or
- Visit the HDB Sales Office to speak with our Customer Relations Executives during office hours
(Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 1 pm).
(Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 1 pm).
Upcoming BTO-cum-SBF Launch in May 2016
13 In May 2016, HDB will offer about 4,070 BTO flats in Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang and Sembawang. About 5,000 balance flats will be offered in a concurrent Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercise. More information on the flats to be offered under the May 2016 BTO exercise is available on the HDB InfoWEB.
[1] In this case, the total grants are $80,000 and the selling price is $80,000. A minimum payment of 5% of the published price, i.e. $4,000 is needed, and the excess AHG/SHG will be credited into the buyers’ CPF Special Account (SA) /Retirement Account (RA) and Medisave Account (MA).
[2] At least 85% (for 4-room and 5-room flats) and 70% (for 3-room flats) of the BTO public flat supply in the non-mature towns are set aside for first-timer families. For flats in the mature estate of Bidadari, at least 95% (for 3-room and bigger flats) of the public flat supply will be set aside for first-timer families.
[3] HDB will set aside up to 15% of the 2-room Flexi and 3-room flats in a BTO project (subject to a minimum of 20 units each) for parents applying under MGPS. The same number of 2-room Flexi and bigger flats will be set aside in the same BTO project for their married children.
- wong chee tat :)
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