03-02-2014, 08:53 PM
You feel disappointed because it is most likely you were never in the shoes of those who had their private property acquired at below market prices, and that same property later on was sold for millions, while you were paid far far far less for it.
In most parts of the world, policy makers are not dumb, even if the country is poorly run. In many cases, some policies are made deliberately.
Over here, prices are high often by manipulating supply and demand. If supply is reduced, demand will increase naturally.
If I were a policy maker, it would be in my interest to restrict supply to increase demand. That would help a lot in the collection of state revenue.
If I were a policy maker, especially in a Confucian society, I would not want people to be too rich and seek after an early retirement. I have worked with such people before, and they are often assertive and are less easily intimidated at work. As a policy maker, I would prefer workers to be submissive, who are too busy working to make ends meet, having too many bills to pay, and are too worried to bother about anything else besides having to work to support their family. Such workers are usually too insecure and worried and can be made to work for very long hours.
Coming back to this topic, as a policy maker, I would aim to use the law to acquire land at low prices, hoard the land, and then slowly release it back to the market. But this is to be done such that demand will always outstrip supply, so that even in a recession year, the property and rental rates can have a buffer rate to fall, and they are both a reliable source of income, even in recession period. The same is done with cars and COE.
In most parts of the world, policy makers are not dumb, even if the country is poorly run. In many cases, some policies are made deliberately.
Over here, prices are high often by manipulating supply and demand. If supply is reduced, demand will increase naturally.
If I were a policy maker, it would be in my interest to restrict supply to increase demand. That would help a lot in the collection of state revenue.
If I were a policy maker, especially in a Confucian society, I would not want people to be too rich and seek after an early retirement. I have worked with such people before, and they are often assertive and are less easily intimidated at work. As a policy maker, I would prefer workers to be submissive, who are too busy working to make ends meet, having too many bills to pay, and are too worried to bother about anything else besides having to work to support their family. Such workers are usually too insecure and worried and can be made to work for very long hours.
Coming back to this topic, as a policy maker, I would aim to use the law to acquire land at low prices, hoard the land, and then slowly release it back to the market. But this is to be done such that demand will always outstrip supply, so that even in a recession year, the property and rental rates can have a buffer rate to fall, and they are both a reliable source of income, even in recession period. The same is done with cars and COE.
(02-02-2014, 11:13 PM)corydorus Wrote: [ -> ]Yes I am quite disappointed with some posts that seems a little emotional over land acquisition policies.
However it appears there are unintended intention to link them to HDB apartment price which i do not think is appropriate.
I do standby that it has to be priced to market. And to bring the price down, the policies need to gear towards bringing the market price down for all property not just HDB. Using this logic, we can avoid the discussion on cost because the market has already determine the most competitive one.
However i need to reiterate that not meeting demand with supply is the main culprits in the issue today.
Is better to be oversupply than under imo. since housing is one of the single most detrimental to happiness and family life. I fail to understand why our dear policy makers can't see that.