SINGAPORE: A total of S$5.5 million (US$4.14 million) in compensation has been paid to more than 1,000 flat buyers across the delayed Waterway Sunrise II and Anchorvale Village Build-to-Order (BTO) projects, said the Housing and Development Board (HDB).
In a media release on Saturday (Mar 8), HDB said that the compensation was provided as per the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act (COTMA) imposed during the pandemic.
Waterway Sunrise II and Anchorvale Village were completed beyond their delivery possession date, the legal contractual date by which HDB was required to hand over the flats.
Both projects had been affected by manpower shortages and supply disruptions from the pandemic, with Waterway Sunrise II facing an additional setback due to the failure of its original contractor.
“Despite significant efforts to bring these projects back on track, the total delays exceeded one year – the longest delays among all the pandemic-delayed projects,” said HDB.
“These projects also marked the first time HDB has not been able to deliver projects by their legal contractual date.”
HDB added that it provided eligible flat buyers with the maximum reimbursement amount they were entitled to, without requiring any claims or proof of expenses.
According to the HDB, this was done to ease the administrative processes for flat buyers and allow them to resume their life plans as soon as possible.
“All flat buyers received their reimbursements within two months after completing their flat purchase and accepting the settlement agreement with HDB.”
UPCOMING BTO PROJECTS ON TRACK
HDB added that all housing projects currently under construction are expected to be delivered on time, with some that could be finished three to six months ahead of schedule.
One such BTO project is Toa Payoh Ridge, which is set to be completed earlier than planned.
“(Toa Payoh Ridge) was originally slated for completion in the third quarter of 2025 but is now expected to complete three months ahead of its schedule, in the second quarter of 2025,” said HDB.
This is the first project since the pandemic in 2020 which will be completed earlier than the planned completion date.
“Barring unforeseen circumstances, we expect a few more projects to be completed slightly earlier of their probable completion dates (PCD) this year and next year,” HDB added.
“With the COVID-19 construction challenges behind us, we have returned to normalcy in our BTO construction progress,” the board added.
