GEORGE TOWN, 16 Nov 2018:
The Penang government has set up a special committee to look into buying back low- and medium-cost homes of owners who have been able to raise their socio-economic status.
State Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the committee was set up to look into whether new housing schemes where low- and medium-cost units that are sold, can still be property of the state government through a leasehold method.
He said the committee would also be tasked with the responsibility to fine-tune the mechanism to implement the policy, apart from making recommendations for the consideration and approval of the respective local authorities.
“The state government will take back these units which will then be channelled to new applications under the new system.
“We also want to ensure unit stocks are sufficient to be offered to eligible buyers and not be rented to third parties. It is stipulated that the owners must occupy these units and not put them up for rent,” he said during the winding up session at the State Assembly yesterday.
Jagdeep Singh also told the assembly the state government is now giving priority to ICT infrastructure towards attaining its smart cities vision by 2030.
Meanwhile, Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong Khan Lee proposed that road use charges be imposed on non-Penang registered vehicles entering the state.
He said this was necessary to alleviate traffic congestion which was becoming increasingly chronic.
– Bernama