CASH GRANT FOR RESETTLED SHOPKEEPERS

The following question stood in the name of Mr Heng Chiang Meng.

Mr Heng Chiang Meng: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the new policy of giving a cash grant of $26,000 per premises to shopkeepers in temporary structures will be applicable to those shopkeepers already resettled but who are currently awaiting allocation of alternative shop accommodation.

Dr Ho Tat Kin (Boon Teck): Question 2, Sir.

The Minister for National Development (Mr S. Dhanabalan): Mr Speaker, Sir, as at 31st December 1986, there were 80 shopkeepers in temporary structures who had been resettled and who were waiting for shops which they had requested. These 80 shopkeepers were offered HDB shops over the first seven months of this year. Fifty of them accepted shops which were allocated to them. The other 30 either did not respond to the letters asking them to select from a list of shops or they responded but were unsuccessful in obtaining the shops of their choice. They were given a last chance to accept an offer of shops prior to the policy announcement on 28th July 1987, but they turned it down. The new policy of cash compensation will not apply to these cases. Besides these, there are no other cases which fall into the category described by the Member.

All other resettlement cases who were still staying on site on 28th July 1987, will be subject to the new policy, ie, they will be given cash compensation and no alternative shops on priority will be offered to them. They will, however, enjoy a preferential margin of 5% or 10% when they tender for HDB rental shops. It has always been the practice, whenever a change in Resettlement Policy is introduced, that the change is applied to those on whom clearance notices have been served but who are still on the site.