Parliament panel gives SPNB two years to meet target

Sunday Star 15/8/2004

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has given Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) two years to meet its target of building houses for low-income earners after which its performance will be reviewed.

The committee proposed that SPNB be more focused by either reviving abandoned projects, targeting a zero squatter state, or securing bridging finance to finance its projects.

It also proposed that state governments help SPNB source suitable locations to build low cost houses and address land acquisition problems.

PAC chairman Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib said under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, the private and public sector were required to build 36,000 low cost houses but only 20,000 had been built.

He told reporters after chairing the second PAC meeting at Parliament yesterday that among the problems faced by SPNB were delays in land processing and lack of funding.

“The Government should set aside more allocation to build and maintain low cost houses. But SPNB should also ensure that houses are built in suitable areas, where there are infrastructure and facilities so that there will be takers,” said Ramli.

He added that SPNB had expressed its willingness to take up some of PAC’s proposals and be more transparent in choosing suitable locations, registration and selection of house buyers.

Ramli said PAC also proposed that the Housing and Local Government Ministry monitor government agencies to ensure they met their target of building low cost houses and achieve zero squatter status by next year.

He said Kuala Lumpur City Hall could take the lead in providing decent low cost flats for the poor.

“KL City Hall has the capacity to succeed in constructing low cost flats and maintaining the building and infrastructure. Other agencies have yet to prove their capability,” he added.

Asked to comment on Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang’s call on the PAC to conduct a thorough audit of the Middle Ring Road II project following the closure of its flyover, Ramli said he would consider discussing the matter at the committee’s next meeting.