We thank Mr Marcus Foong for his feedback (Why accelerate building of some BTO projects but not others?, Jan 5).

We would like to assure Mr Foong that the HDB has applied accelerated construction schedules to all HDB projects delayed by the pandemic, including the projects in Tengah, as well as the highlighted Tampines GreenCrest and GreenGlade, which all faced similar delays of between nine and 12 months. 

HDB’s building programme was severely disrupted by the pandemic. The circuit breaker in 2020, and other pandemic-induced challenges such as construction manpower shortages and material supply disruptions, resulted in extensive delays to the projected completion dates of our building projects.

Since then, HDB has been working hard to catch up and minimise further delays to the completion of these projects, while ensuring quality and safety are not compromised. This includes supporting our construction partners with their manpower and cash flow situation, prioritising the completion of residential blocks over precinct facilities, expediting authority clearances, and conducting quieter works after hours and on weekends.

 As each project is carried out by different contractors and has different scopes of work, site conditions and operating constraints, the extent of construction time that can be saved or optimised varies from project to project.

We recognise the challenges faced by our flat buyers and that these delays may have affected their life plans. We are committed to delivering all our projects by the revised timelines given to buyers, and do not favour the completion of a specific project over another. Tampines GreenCrest and GreenGlade remain on track to be completed by Q3 2024, which is the revised projected completion date communicated to buyers on March 27, 2022.

Overall, the construction industry recovered strongly in 2023, and much progress has been made in the delivery of housing projects delayed by the pandemic. We have delivered 80 per cent of the 92 pandemic-delayed projects from 2020, and are on track to deliver the remaining 18 projects in about a year’s time. This has enabled us to issue about 22,300 sets of keys to flat buyers in 2023, the highest in the last five years. We thank residents for their continued understanding and patience as we work hard to deliver homes to Singaporeans.

Sylvia Chen
Director (Building Construction Management)
Housing & Development Board