TEMPORARY OCCUPATION LICENCES (Transfer fees)

Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Law and the Environment what is the justification for charging the transfer fee of $500 in respect of Temporary Occupation Licences held by farmers in the rural areas; if he will consider waiving such fees in all cases where the transfer is from parent to son or from one member to another in the same family, and if he will also consider continuing to maintain the same rate of T.O.L, fees in all such cases of transfer within the same family.

The Minister for Law and the Environment (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Land Office has, since 1962, been charging a fee for transfers of holdings held on Temporary Occupation Licences. The transfer fee then was $100 for the first acre and $50 for every additional acre or part of an acre.

The imposition of a transfer fee is designed to discourage frequent transfers of such holdings and the abuses arising therefrom. It is not unusual for large sums of money to be paid as consideration between licensees and purchasers for transfers of such holdings. The highest amount ascertained by the Land Office was $15,000 per acre for an area of 2.2 acres of land.

In 1973 there were 330 applications. In 1974, the number was 439.

To deter too frequent applications and to prevent speculation, the transfer fee was revised in October 1974 to $200 for the first acre and $100 for every additional acre. In addition, on approval, the Temporary Occupation Licence fees were revised. For holdings in the rural areas, the revised fee is $72 per acre per annum. That these increases are not excessive is borne out by the fact that applications for transfers increased from 439 in 1974 to 552 in 1975.

The transfer fee of $500 quoted by the Member for Jalan Kayu refers to one particular farm lot with an area of about four acres.

Under the current practice, the transfer fee may be waived and the old rates of Temporary Occupation Licence fees retained, at the discretion of the Licences Committee where it is ascertained that hardship will be caused to the next-of-kin, especially those in receipt of public assistance from the Social Welfare Department.

In the light of the Member for Jalan Kayu's representations, I have directed the Commissioner of Lands and the Licences Committee to liberally allow waiver of transfer fees as well as retention of the old rates of Temporary Occupation Licence fees, where investigations reveal that the circumstances of any particular case so warrant.

Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu): Sir, on the face of it, it sounds very good. But it is still rather vague to me. In this particular instance, the Minister does seem to be aware of the circumstances. Would he, therefore, consider that that particular case warrants a waiver of the transfer fee?

Mr Barker: Sir, I will have to look further into the circumstances of the particular case. I cannot give the Member a direct answer except for the little facts that I know at the moment, that is. $500 quoted refers to a farm lot with an area of about four acres, which is quite considerable.