As prices of HDB flats continue to rise beyond the means of Singaporeans especially the younger ones, the question of whether the cost of land should be included in the price of flats is intensifying.
At the heart of the issue is the Government selling state land to Singaporeans and thereby turning public housing into a profit-making enterprise.
In response to the public's concern over the matter, the HDB posed this question on its website: "Can the Government unilaterally lower the cost of land for public housing, and thereby reduce the selling price for HDB flats?" (See here).
The question is, of course, rhetorical and the HDB's answer is no. The reason, the HDB explains, is that "All land in land-scarce Singapore...commands a definite value, and all State land forms part of this country’s national reserves." Full story
