Category Archives: Properties

Singapore Turf Club – the end is near in 2024; How not to shut it down? Use the airspace above expressways?

Posted on June 11, 2023 by tankoktim

============= . It will take great political will to change course in land usage. Does the PAP or the opposition has that will, and who has a stronger will and foresight? ====== There are other solutions to free up precious … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Inflation and Rising cost of living, MRT, Olympics and Sports, Properties, Roads and Expressways, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, State Land, Vehicle parking facilities | Tagged | Leave a comment

2019 Budget – my 28 suggestions

Posted on January 10, 2019 by tankoktim

2019 Budget  – my 28 suggestions: I hope MOF Heng Swee Keat will include one or two of my suggestions in the 2019 Budget, which will be announced in Parliament by him on 18th Feb 2019. What will be the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budgets 2018, etc., Business & Finance, CPF, Government, Govt's Budget, GST, Medical & Health, MediShield Life mandatory medical insurance, Minimum Wage; PWM and WIS in Singapore's wage policies, Politics, Population, Properties, Silver Support Scheme, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Taxation, Transport | Tagged | Leave a comment

HDB public housing is a sensitive topic; ..Sers, Vers, HIP1, HIP2 ..; HDB public housing – how to keep up with the times; Queenstown’s Tanglin Halt 10-storey blocks enbloc under SERS; HUDC in the 70s and the impact on HDB’s public housing policy; How should HDB return to their main mission and policy on public housing?

Posted on September 24, 2018 by tankoktim

=========== . After HUDC, the horse has not bolted from HDB.    The original mission:  HDB public housing with no frills. ======= Forum: No need for HDB to cater to people’s aspirational housing needs UPDATED 11 HOURS AGO on 11th … Continue reading →

Posted in HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Properties, Social issues | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Have a Sales Tax on expensive goods? Can any government policy eradicate poverty or the income gap? Govt working on ensuring basic retirement needs met; How? Solutions? Income inequality a long-term social issue and concern; In UK, talk about redistributive measures like higher direct income taxes on the rich, sparks fury from the right; Should the government reinstate estate duty tax to reduce inequality? Or, have wealth tax – that could cause “Wealth Flight”? A deterrence: 35% ABSD on Living Trust;

Posted on June 1, 2018 by tankoktim

======= . How to take money from the rich [tax the rich] to benefit the poor? We already have indirect consumption tax on cars and properties. We should go further by having indirect consumption tax on other expensive goods. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Business & Finance, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Education; What is Complete Whole Person Education?, Government, GST, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Politics, Properties, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Taxation | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

‘Millionaire’ Singaporeans; how to be the No. 1 Hub: to attract 10,000 world richest billionaires to red dot? Pandora Papers – tax evasion; Investing or speculating on the stock exchange; The rich and poor Singaporeans – who can afford what? Who can plan their retirement to live comfortably with no financial anxiety? How many Singaporeans have S$30,000 net cash in their bank accounts? Financial advisers – are they themselves multi billionaires/millionaires?

Posted on May 30, 2017 by tankoktim

======= . Be the next Hub: How to attract and encourage some 10,000 world richest multi-billionaires [not millionaires] to bring their wealth and take up residence in Singapore? Can we aim for the next Hub: A Billionaire Hub? What can … Continue reading →

Posted in Business & Finance, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, CPF, Economy; Perfect Economic Storm? When?, Food & Drinks; hawker centres; foodcourts;, Government, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Nation Building, National Day Rally - new policies and strategies, National Reserves, Politics, Population, Properties, Security, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Taxation | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Leasehold land/properties in UK and Red Dot….is there any difference?

Posted on April 14, 2017 by tankoktim

Leasehold in UK, is there any difference from a leasehold in Red Dot?   Hope there will be investigative journalism on the different stature laws of UK and Red Dot to tell all the comparative difference in the 99-year lease terms and … Continue reading →

Posted in HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Properties | Tagged , | 2 Comments

ComCare. Welfarism – how extreme can it be? S$3 billion action plan for successful ageing;

Posted on April 18, 2016 by tankoktim

============ . Welfare policies come with trade-offs, including need to raise taxes: Lawrence Wong DPM Lawrence Wong (centre) during a dialogue hosted by NTUC president Mary Liew and secretary-general Ng Chee Meng. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Rei Kurohi PUBLISHED 1 HOUR … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2016, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Fate, Destiny, Accidents & Coincidence, Food & Drinks; hawker centres; foodcourts;, Govt's Budget, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Minimum Wage; PWM and WIS in Singapore's wage policies, Politics, Properties, Silver Support Scheme, Social issues, Socialistic Policies | Tagged | 1 Comment

Old-aged homes…in a fast ageing Singapore; Destitute in old-age home, their money, if any left, to whom should they will their money? Help the elderly and the destitute to age well; HDB’s Community Care Apartments in Bukit Batok ready in 2024; Homeless and the Destitute Persons Act [Chapter 78]; Old folks die in loneliness, body not found for months; Those over 70 and 80, count your remaining days in 10 or 20 years

Posted on March 2, 2016 by tankoktim

============== . PG and MG folks and the PG and MG Funds… How many of them were alive end 2020 and 2021, and how many will be alive end 2022? How much funds remained at end each year? What is … Continue reading →

Posted in Fate, Destiny, Accidents & Coincidence, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Medical & Health, PG and CHAS, Properties, Silver Support Scheme, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Spiritual First - then mental then physical | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

HDB BTO prices – how to keep prices down and affordable? Debates in Parliament on 7th Feb 2023 – seeking solutions, or to score political points? Building multi-storey carparks in HDB estates does not benefit the poor; Time to review car park policies to support car-lite and EVs; Mechanised Parking System – the Govt has listened again;

Posted on February 19, 2016 by tankoktim

================= . Singapore will update housing, planning strategies to reflect current concerns: Desmond Lee National Development Minister Desmond Lee outlined the broad priorities for his ministry, including supporting families who are buying their first home. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Michelle … Continue reading →

Posted in HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Properties, The Govt listened and implemented my ideas and feedback, Transport, Vehicle parking facilities | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Walk-in toilets, no more main door…; The unisex 3-in-one toilet concept – for all gender; Public toilets for people with disabilities are being misused by the able-bodied,

Posted on December 4, 2015 by tankoktim

Remove main doors of public toilets for better hygiene [in Today newspaper, 2nd Feb 2020]. . ======= . . ========== . Remove main doors of public toilets for better hygiene By TAN KOK TIMThe writer suggests that all non-automatic main … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment Control, Protect Nature, Food & Drinks; hawker centres; foodcourts;, Hawker Food -Top Favourites, Properties, Social issues | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Conservation of Pre-war buildings; Photos of old Singapore in the 1960s and earlier;

Posted on October 19, 2015 by tankoktim

======== . Past, Present and Future… All three are inter-linked, interconnected. Not standalone. No past, there will be no present. No present, there will be no future. Let us remember our immediate past with gratitude, and offer apology prayers with … Continue reading →

Posted in HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Nation Building, Properties, Singapore in 1960s, Transport | Tagged | Leave a comment

Abandoned houses: PGs and MGs – ageing population; Make a Will? Make a Lasting power of attorney? Why? Lonely elderly man a dementia in nursing home, S$1m cash savings, no LPA; Fast ageing population and ageing problems of the elderly; Abandoned houses in Japan; In Singapore, some old folks died in loneliness, and their bodies were not found for months…; Ageism – negative attitudes towards the elderly;

Posted on August 26, 2015 by tankoktim

======== . Source: SBS News There are millions of empty homes in Japan, so one group is offering them to in need single mothers. . =============== . . In Singapore, will it be possible for Govt to allow VWOs [by … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Fate, Destiny, Accidents & Coincidence, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Medical & Health, MediShield Life mandatory medical insurance, PG and CHAS, Population, Properties, Singapore in 1960s, Social issues, Socialistic Policies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

50-year public infrastructures: To pay construction by taxation, loans or bonds? Should there be sinking funds for public infrastructures to pay for renovation and upgrading? Development economists to advise, should the people pay for the cost of state land owned by the Govt for the benefit of the people? Impact on rising prices of HDB public housing prices [due to cost of town centres, hawker centres, multi-storey carparks, not benefiting the poor; the schools, universities, hospitals, polyclinics, all on State Land;

Posted on January 20, 2015 by tankoktim

What is the root cause of rising cost of living?…It is rental. Should cost of State Land be viewed holistically? It is a subject for the learned economists and in particular those who wrote PhD thesis on development economics.  Let … Continue reading →

Posted in Business & Finance, CareShield Life insurance - permanent disabilities, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Government, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Medical & Health, MediShield Life mandatory medical insurance, National Reserves, Politics, Productivity, Properties, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, State Land | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Higher ABSD wef 16th Dec 2021 and 26th April 2023, and more cooling measures; The ‘99-to-1’ loophole to avoid paying ABSD? 35% ABSD on Living Trust; foreigners have to compete in the top-end property market and not in HDB public housing; URA want feedback on next 10-year plans; Conservation of pre-war buildings; Paya Lebar Airbase for redevelopment; Have laws for developers of condo [like having bicycle parking bays, and car park lots] to provide lockers in public and carpark areas, hidden wiring and piping for installation of bidet; What is Govt’s role to avert chaos in property market? Have mortgage tax as another form of wealth tax on the rich;

Posted on November 25, 2014 by tankoktim

========== . It is all about money. It is one of the best form of wealth tax, an indirect tax and I hope the tax collected will be best used for the sake of the lower income groups and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Government, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Lee Kuan Yew's Legacy [His life 1923-2015], Media and freedom of the press; Movies, TV serials; Entertainment;, Nation Building, Properties, Singapore in 1960s, Socialistic Policies, Taxation, Transport | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

CPF for Housing – Reverse mortgage is another option…

Posted on September 1, 2014 by tankoktim

CPF -How to address the various concerns effectively, decisively and adequately to address the public’s disquiet over the Minimum Sum being raised to $155,000, and the concern of CPF retirement adequacy? ======== CPF – mortgage it rather than sell it … Continue reading →

Posted in CPF, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Properties, Socialistic Policies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

CPF – what changes will be announced by PM Lee at the National Day Rally on 17th August 2014?

Posted on August 16, 2014 by tankoktim

Should we have a CPF – Hospital Trust? Public hospitals are short of beds, and the solution to contain medical costs is for the Govt to set up a CPF-Hospital Trust to encourage Singaporeans to fund it. This will give … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget 2015 - new policies?, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, CPF, Government, Govt's Budget, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Medical & Health, MediShield Life mandatory medical insurance, Politics, Properties, Socialistic Policies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Cvy” account of law firm with two-key solution is the answer at last; What is ‘Cvy’? This procedure ensures client’s deposit money held in escrow with law firms is safe. Also, Companies Act needs changes to prevent fraud;

Posted on July 5, 2014 by tankoktim

======= Shared with Public If there is, I believe someone has pocketed it…who? . ======= . Forum: Do funds held in escrow account for property transactions earn interest? PUBLISHED6 HOURS AGO on 17th June 2021 in ST Forum FACEBOOKWHATSAPPTWITTER In … Continue reading →

Posted in Business & Finance, Corruption, External and Internal Auditing, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Properties | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

CPF scheme – Not perfect? HDB too? Are both sham and failures?

Posted on May 29, 2014 by tankoktim

Many demagogues believe that both the CPF and HDB schemes are shams and failures. They pray all the time for both to collapse and for Singaporeans to be hit by a major financial disaster. ======= CPF contributions started at 2.5% … Continue reading →

Posted in CPF, Government, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Politics, Properties, Socialistic Policies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Food supply chain; State Land and Roof Top Space gardening – do not let it be idle, or bake in the sun; Target 30:30 by 2030 to supply locally grown food to meet 30% of our food needs; More fishing farming in our waters? How? Also, use vacant state land for community gardening; My letter in ST Forum on 1st April 1998 on vacant state land;

Posted on March 6, 2014 by tankoktim

============= . Does the Govt have plans to fence and link up Pulau Ubin to Pulau Tekong to the mainland to create a seawater reservoir for fish farming? . ======= . Forum: Optimising use of sea space part of long-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Business & Finance, Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Economy; Perfect Economic Storm? When?, Emergency Disaster Preparation, Environment Control, Protect Nature, Food & Drinks; hawker centres; foodcourts;, Government, Hawker Food -Top Favourites, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, Inward investments and incentives; overseas Investments - should more be invested overseas or locally by Sovereign Wealth Fund? Maintain stable supply chains and security?, Nation Building, Population, Properties, Security, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, State Land, The Govt listened and implemented my ideas and feedback, Total Defence | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Property tax – lower for owner occupied properties; HDB and HUDC in the 70s; HDB public housing and private condo – asset-wealth accumulation? Zero value at 99th year for both HDB public housing and private condo apartments; New price and allocation policies for new HDB public housing in prime areas, example, Greater Southern Waterfront? Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) in HDB public housing; How to address different HDB EIP resale flat prices by race ?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by tankoktim

. ============ . Around 5,000 HDB flats to be built in Mount Pleasant; first BTO project for sale within next 5 years Four existing buildings that were part of the Old Police Academy, along with the parade square, will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Cost of Living & Retirement Adequacy, Government, HDB Public Housing; affordability; EIP policy; and resale prices;, MRT, Properties, Social issues, Socialistic Policies, Total Defence | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment