Mar 1, 2012

Brunei - Adequate housing big challenge for MoD



HOUSING issues have always been one of the most anticipated topics when the curtains of the State Legislative Councils (LegCo) Meetings are raised as ongoing projects to provide home to tens of thousands of waiting Bruneians fall under the spotlight and get reviewed for its efficiency, liveability and delivery time.

Issues of providing housing schemes in Mukim Labi and Mukim Bukit Sawat in Belait, vertical housing and the creation of a National Housing Fund were among the "hot" topics that were mentioned at the seventh LegCo sessions last year.

Facing a shortage of land for development, coupled with rising housing demands over a shorter period of time, the Ministry of Development still has a mountain to climb in overcoming tricky situations in the coming years and will surely be put under immense pressure in the upcoming parliamentary meeting.

In the last LegCo proceedings, the issue of whether the Housing Development Department would provide housing schemes in Mukim Labi and Mukim Bukit Sawat to avoid more residents there from moving to other areas were brought up by a member of the meeting YB Hj Mohd Shafiee Ahmad.

He raised concerns that there were more people moving out of the mukim (sub-districts) to Seria and Lumut.

Development Minister Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman responded that the issue had been discussed in the ministry before in their continuous efforts to seek suitable future housing sites.

"InsyaAllah, if needed in the future, maybe we cannot decide the matter today, but there could be a possibility of doing the housing schemes there," said the minister.

To date, housing schemes in these areas have yet to be provided.

Meanwhile, the idea of vertical housing was mooted at the seventh LegCo meetings, as a means to resolve the "gap" in the waiting list for public housing, which is expected to reach 32,000 applicants by 2014.

Earlier in January this year, the Development Minister announced that the construction of the first vertical housing under the National Housing Scheme will begin in 2012 in the Brunei-Muara District.

"At the beginning, the project involves the construction of the six-storey vertical housing which will provide about 320 unit houses in Kg Lambak Kanan," Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi said.

To make the vertical housing more appealing to the public, the schemes would also see the construction of public facilities which include shops, a community centre, a nursery school, a prayer hall, a playground and sports area.

It will also apply the design of an environmentally friendly building concept, to address the issue of climate change.

The last LegCo session also heard suggestions for the establishment of a National Housing Fund to help future homeowners save up and avoid becoming delinquent home loan borrowers.

State LegCo Member Orang Kaya Maha Bijaya Hj Othman Uking proposed the creation of the fund with the aim of reducing unpaid home loans under the National Housing Scheme (NHS).

Under the proposed housing fund, any government or private sector employee can deposit at least $50 a month, said OKMB Hj Othman.

He suggested that the monthly deposit could be higher or equivalent to five per cent of the monthly income.

Development Minister said the ministry was considering the idea.

"Should this idea become a workable one, it can be one of the mechanisms which allow ... (homeowners) to repay their loans through the fund," he said, adding that in some instances, homeowners get their houses only when nearing retirement, which makes repayment even harder.

Marzuke Hj Mohsin, former director of the Housing Development Department under the Ministry of Development, said from a conceptual angle, the idea was "very good as it encourages early savings".

He added that department officials are looking at different avenues in reducing unpaid home loans under the NHS.

However, as of today, this initiative is yet to be undertaken by the relevant authority and could possibly become a returning issue at the upcoming LegCo sessions.

Another issue that could also make its way into the meeting hall is the status of the construction of 65 new homes in the open area of Mukim Peramu and Mukim Saba under the "Upgrading Pilot Project for Kampong Ayer".

Funded by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, the project is hoped to be the first of many that could spread out to other areas in Kampong Ayer.

The construction of the $31.3 million project commenced on April 2 last year and was initially slated for completion in November the same year; however, the project has been delayed and is now scheduled to be completed by early this year.

FITRI SHAHMINAN
The Brunei Times



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