ALSAGOFF ESTATE (Allocation of house numbers)

Inche Mohd. Ariff Bin Suradi asked the Minister for Finance whether the Government will give house numbers to the houses built before 1st April, 1960, in Alsagoff Estate whose house owners are paying ground rent to the landlords or their agents.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance (Mr S. Ramaswamy) (for the Minister for Finance): Mr Speaker, Sir, when applications for house numbers are made to the Comptroller of Property Tax, who has the authority for the issue of house numbers in the Republic, house numbers will be issued, where the applicants produce either a temporary building permit or a letter of no objection from the Chief Building Surveyor. House numbers will not generally be issued except where either of these is furnished, as it is the practice of the Inland Revenue Department not to allocate house numbers to unauthorised buildings. Accordingly, the owners of the houses mentioned in the question by the hon. Member should apply to the Chief Building Surveyor for either a temporary building permit or a letter of no objection; and after obtaining same, forward them together with their applications for house numbers to the Comptroller of Property Tax, Inland Revenue Department, Property Tax Division, Government Offices, City Hall, St. Andrew's Road, Singapore. The Comptroller will then take the necessary action to number the houses.

As regards the matter of ground rent, it can be mentioned that the Chief Building Surveyor may require production of ground rent receipts by applicants for temporary building permits or letters of no objection in order to establish the identity of the owners of the structures concerned.