WAREHOUSE FACILITIES

Mr Ng Yeow Chong asked the Minister for Law and National Development whether the Government will consider providing more facilities in the suburbs or near industrial areas to enable commercial houses or local distributors of merchandise to rebuild their warehouse affected by the urban renewal development, as warehousing forms an integral part of the entrepot trade of the Republic.

Mr E. W. Barker: I would like to assure the Honourable Member that my Ministry has indeed been looking into various possibilities of providing more warehouse facilities both in the suburbs and near industrial areas to enable commercial houses and distributors of merchandise to relocate warehouse affected by urban renewal. The problem is not a simple one as the site selected should ideally be close to the harbour and railway station and preferably not too far from business centres for easy and cheap transportation of goods.

More investigations and feasibility studies are being undertaken by the Urban Renewal Department. Eventually, land may have to be reclaimed from the sea along Pasir Panjang to provide a warehouse zone that will be generally acceptable. In the meantime, existing warehouses which are affected by urban renewal are given priority wherever alternative sites are available. Appendix to Oral Answer to Question 27, cols. 106-7 (Cols 0161-0168)