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
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